Phillip Osondu

Would love a documentary/biopic of this story of Phillip Osondu . Funny, sad and revealing — lots to learn about ambition, talent meeting opportunity, football age and football politics. Staged some decades ago, but not much has changed.

Phillip Osondu was tipped to be the next big thing in Nigerian football following his performance at the 1987 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Canada.

Nigeria got to the final of the championship but were defeated by USSR who triumphed 4–2 via penalties with both teams having finished the game at regulation time 1–1.

Osondu dazzled the football world with his repertoire of skills and was duly handed the Golden Ball prize as the most outstanding player of Canada 87.

Belgium was fast turning out to be the haven for Nigerian footballers and after his U-16 exploits, Osondu was snapped up by Anderlecht of Belgium.

It was reportedly said that Osondu ‘refused’ to grow tall despite the many efforts of the Belgian side which raised dust over his real age.

The one-time El Kanemi striker turned the dietary regime of the club on its head after the foreign food he was being fed with did not help his growth the way the club anticipated.

Rather than growing taller like other players of ‘his age’ in the club’s rank, Osondu grew stockier and more round the waist.

The forward was released by Anderlecht in 1996 at the official age of 25 and ended up doing odd jobs in Belgium to survive.