Godwin Odiye
Encyclopedia
Godwin Odiye is a former Nigeria international
football defender.
to play collegiate soccer. Odiye moved to the United States to attend college and after graduating in 1983, he played for a local semi-professional club Greek-American A.C.
which he would help win the 1985
and 1994 U.S. Open Cup
.
Odiye made several appearances for the senior Nigeria national football team
, including FIFA World Cup
qualifying matches, and played at the 1976
and 1980 African Cup of Nations
finals. He is well-known for scoring an own goal in a 1978 FIFA World Cup
qualifying match against Tunisia.
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
football defender.
Career
Odiye began playing club football in Nigeria for non-league sides Nestle and National Bank of Lagos. In 1978, Odiye was recruited by University of San FranciscoUniversity of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
to play collegiate soccer. Odiye moved to the United States to attend college and after graduating in 1983, he played for a local semi-professional club Greek-American A.C.
Greek-American A.C.
Greek-American was a semi-professional soccer club from San Francisco, California that played in the San Francisco Soccer Football League. They are the most successful team in the league's history with 16 titles to their credit.-Early years:...
which he would help win the 1985
1985 U.S. Open Cup
The 1985 U.S. Open Cup was the 71st edition of the oldest ongoing soccer competition in the United States. Teams from the North American Soccer League declined to participate. Greek American AC defeated Kutis SC in the final game. The score was 2-1....
and 1994 U.S. Open Cup
1994 U.S. Open Cup
-Final:...
.
Odiye made several appearances for the senior Nigeria national football team
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, including FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifying matches, and played at the 1976
1976 African Cup of Nations
The 1976 African Cup of Nations was the tenth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ethiopia. The format of competition changed from 1974: the field of eight teams was still split into two groups of four, but a final stage was introduced with...
and 1980 African Cup of Nations
1980 African Cup of Nations
The 1980 African Cup of Nations was the 12th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Nigeria. Just like in 1978, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four...
finals. He is well-known for scoring an own goal in a 1978 FIFA World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
qualifying match against Tunisia.