The ex-West Brom forward joins the club of former Nigerian internationals who found themselves without a club in 2021
Turkish Super Lig club Goztepe have parted ways with Nigerian striker Brown Ideye, terminating the contract of the 33-year-old striker who joined them as a free agent in August, 2020.
Ideye inked a two-year contract with the Turkish side last year after leaving Greece side Aris Thessaloniki.
But Goztepe have confirmed in a statement they have terminated Ideye's contract by mutual consent. The Nigeria international made only five appearances this season, all from the bench, and did not score a goal.
“As a result of the negotiations with our player Brown Ideye, his contract was mutually terminated,” Goztepe said in a statement on their official club website.
“We would like to thank Ideye and wish him success in his continuing football life.”
Ideye, therefore, becomes the latest Nigerian star to be without a club in 2021, joining a distinguished group that also has former Chelsea ace John Mikel Obi.
Mikel Obi left Stoke City in July to team up with Kuwaiti moneybags, Kuwait SC.
But the adventure only lasted for four months before the contract of the former Super Eagles captain was torn to shreds.
Earlier in December, former Lazio midfield dynamo Ogenyi Eddy Onazi also ended his association with Denizlispor.
The Turkish side claimed the Nigerian star did not measure up to club standard while the player countered that he was owed several months salary. It was Onazi's second spell with Denizlispor.
Mikel, Ideye, and Onazi were prominent members of the Stephen Keshi-led Super Eagles team that defied all odds to lift the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa.
Below are other former Super Eagles stars who became free agents in 2021.
John Mikel Obi
Age: 34
Without a club since: November 5, 2021
Last Club: Kuwait SC
Ogenyi Onazi
Age: 28
Without a club since: December 9, 2021
Last Club: Denizlispor
Godfrey Oboabona
Age: 31
Without a club since: January 1, 2021
Last Club: Dinamo Batumi
Obafemi Martins
Age: 37
Without a club since: January 1, 2021
Last Club: Wuhan FC
Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi
Age: 35
Without a club since:
Last Club: SCR Altach
Hope Akpan
Age: 30
Without a club since: July 15, 2021
Last Club: SJK Seinäjoki
Ramon Azeez
Age: 29
Without a club since: August 31, 2021
Last Club: Granada CF
Michael Babatunde
Age: 28
Without a club since: August 1, 2021
Last Club: Wydad AC
Brown Ideye
Age: 33
Without a club since: December 20, 2021
Last Club: Goztepe
John Owoeri
Age: 34
Without a club since: January 1, 2021
Last Club: BJ BSU
Austin Ejide
Age: 37
Without a club since: July 1, 2021
Last Club: Ness Ziona
Dele Alampasu
Age: 24
Without a club since: July 1, 2021
Last Club: Ventspils
Joseph Akpala
Age: 35
Without a club since: July 1, 2021
Last Club: FC Dinamo
If only we have a good and functional league in Nigeria…. shouldn’t these men have returned home to play in our local league?
Hulk and Diego Costa last few days ago helped their team in their local league to win a double. These men (old and young) could have been the same if there was an enabling environment.
Much ado about nonsense!!!
Oh! There truly was a country!!
We never had a country. We only have association of confused people called Nigeria. There will never be an enabling environment with crop of leaders We parade in that confused State. All sectors of life in Nigeria is totally in shambles. Footballers cannot return home to play, medical doctors cannot return to establish medical centers after retirement from abroad, etc. Things have fallen apart in the confused conglomerate and center cannot hold again .
I wish everyone in Nigeria the very best struggling to hold life together. If anyone reading this have the opportunity to relocate abroad please do for the sake of your family