Super Eagles star makes big move to 16-time Slovenian champions

The 21-year-old was outstanding in Rivers colors last season, and his performance has earned him a move to Slovenia

Super Eagles star Ishaq Rafiu has joined Slovenian giants NK Maribor from Rivers United for an undisclosed fee.

Rafiu had an outstanding season with the Pride of Rivers, registering 14 goals and three assists in the run-up to their  Nigeria Professional Football League triumph.

The 21-year-old was one of the seven home-based players invited for Jose Peseiro’s first games in charge of the Super Eagles. And he made quite an impression when he was introduced in the second half of Nigeria’s 2-1 loss.

Rafiu operates from the wing majorly, and he is adept at beating defenders, especially in one-on-one situations.

The former Remo Stars man was one of the best performers in the league last season. And as usual practice in previous years, after one good season, Nigerian players move abroad for greener pastures.

There were earlier reports that Rafiu was close to sealing a move to Olimpija Ljubljana, but the deal fell through.

However, the 21-year-old forward got an even better deal, as NK Maribor have announced that they have secured the services of the Super Eagles star.

NK Maribor is the biggest and most successful team in Slovenia, with 16 league titles and nine league cups. The Slovenian giants are even in the UEFA Champions League, albeit in the preliminaries.