Edidiong Peter: The Best Teenage Footballer You’ve Never Met

Meet Edidiong Peter–one of the best young talents in the football world. While he has the skill, he has never been granted the opportunity to truly exceed, which makes us wonder what will happen when he does. 

Edidiong Peter is a 15-years-old youth football player from Calabar, Nigeria. Although he is young, Edidiong already has dreams of becoming a professional football player.

Edidiong is from a humble family of five—both his mother and his father sell vegetables in one of the neighborhood markets. Most of the time, the family cannot afford to buy football gear for him to go to training, or even give him enough healthy food to help him practice effectively. He does not have all those things an average kid may– have but Edidiong does have three things that set him apart from other kids his age.

First, he has the dream of becoming a professional football player. Second, he has the talent. Third, he is hardworking.

Certainly, football talents can be developed with good training, but there are some who are simply born with it, and all they need is a conducive environment to refine it. Edidiong is undoubtedly one of those with natural football talent.

At a very young age, Edidiong was already popular with his football skills among his peers, and every person who had seen him play. In his place, he is regarded as one of the brightest young players ever.

I met Edidiong during a football trial to select young players into L & M Football Academy in Calabar. By then, Edidiong was still playing street football. He went to the trial ground with his friends to watch as he was already told he was too young to join. While waiting for his friends who are among the other 75 aspirants for the trial, Coach Olinga noticed a young boy playing with the ball on the sideline. His touches were so remarkable that he became the first player to be scouted into L & M Football Academy in Calabar.

He is an exceptionally talented player with good technique and skills. Being a player that can handle the ball with both feet makes him extraordinary. He has a good vision for the field, and his quick thinking and level of awareness are rare for his age.

He is fast and sharp on the ball, which always keeps defenders on their toes while marking him. He can fit into many positions in the field– though he sees himself as an attacker. His passion for the game is incredible. His desire to work hard and improve his skills every day makes many people that have seen him play wish he is in the right environment.

Edidiong won L & M Football Academy U13 player of the year in 2011 and 2012, as well as the Milo U13 tournament. His excellent performance in that tournament prompted the former Nigeria Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai to invite him to Milo Academy while he was still with L & M Football Academy.

With Edidiong scoring 20 goals in 15 matches for L & M Football Academy in 2012, he caught the attention of the Nigeria Football Academy in Calabar, and  was invited to represent the state in the National U13 and U15 Championship. They ended up winning silver.

In 2015, Edidiong played with Chesterfield Academy Calabar in the Amsterdam competition two times. He also played in the super six competition, winning both the tournament and Chesterfield player of the year 2015.

Early in 2016, Edidiong represented Cross River State Academy in the Copa Coca-Cola Championship U15 competition in Portharcurt, where they finished in the second position, as he scored 1 goal in 4 appearances.

In October 2016 he also represented Cross River State Football Academy in the National Etisalat U15 competition in Kwara state, where he scored a goal in the first game and 2 goals in the last game.

Edidiong was in Cameroon with his Aunt in April 2017 seeking scholarship for the Kadji Sports Academy, which is where Samuel Eto’o was scouted. Although he had a successful trial in which he scored a handful of goals in training matches, there was no full scholarship awarded to the young prodigy, and he had to return home to Nigeria.

Don’t take my word for Edidiong’s skill? Well, here’s what some other people are saying about him:

Kanu Nwankwo– Former Nigerian international player and Arsenal FC Star

Chukwuma Akuneto– Assistant Head Coach at FC United of Manchester
“I have watched the video clips and although all the players were of good level it’s only the 10-year-old boy that interests me. His touch and awareness are like that of a player of about 12 or 13 years old.”

Edidiong has everything it takes for a promising young player to succeed, but he needs the right opportunity. I hope he could one day meet that opportunity and fulfill his football dreams.