July 25, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release
Fitting into a group has never been a problem for Chidozie Awaziem. The 27-year-old defender from Nigeria has played all over the globe and has represented his national team on the world’s biggest stages. From Enugu to Porto to Nantes to Madrid and Split, ‘Chido’ has laced up his boots and got himself stuck in no matter where he has played and made a name for himself no matter the culture or location.
In fact, acclimatizing to a new culture and doing all he can to be part of a team is a speciality of sorts. A welcome trait as FC Cincinnati introduced Awaziem as the newest member of the club on a permanent transfer Thursday morning, signing him for an undisclosed fee from Portuguese first division side Boavista FC for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 with options for 2026 and 2027. Awaziem will join the club’s roster and become eligible pending receipt of his P-1 visa.
A welcome addition to The Orange and Blue as Awaziem not only adds to an injury riddled center-back group but raises the quality of the squad as a whole, bringing world-class talent to FCC as a player who has featured prominently for the Super Eagles at the FIFA World Cup and multiple times at the African Cup of Nations.
“We’re delighted to have Chidozie join the club,” Chris Albright, FC Cincinnati General Manager said in a press release today. “He’s a talented defender with extensive experience at the European and international level. His quality, character and leadership will be a valuable addition to our group, and I’d like to welcome him to Cincinnati.”
A 6’2″ defender, Awaziem’s speed, poise on the ball, and passing stand out. Also, having played in both a back two and a back three center-back group makes him uniquely prepared to come in and make a difference for The Orange and Blue as he has a diversity of experience in playing styles and tactics. The Nigerian star describes himself as a player who plays with a sense of calm, but has an aggression in the way he goes about pursuing the game and defending.
“I’ve been following up Major League Soccer for quite a number of years now,” Awaziem said to FCCincinnati.com. “When I spoke to Cincinnati, it was really an amazing time and it was a wonderful conversation on what I could be with this club.”
“I had heard a lot about Cincy, and I watched their games (Awaziem would correct himself to say ‘our games’ with a smile) and how they’ve been performing in Major League Soccer and…
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