Nigeria great Segun Odegbami reveals how a night of dancing cost him Tottenham move

Nigeria football legend Segun Odegbami has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur once wanted to sign him, but an unusual decision during his trip to England ended up scuppering the proposed move.

Odegbami, one of the most celebrated figures in Nigerian football history, was sent to England for an assessment after national team manager Kojo Alakija helped arrange the opportunity with Tottenham.

The former Shooting Stars forward, however, never made it to the club’s training ground for the scheduled trial.

Instead, Odegbami found himself at the Empire Ballroom, where he spent the night dancing rather than showcasing his talents to Tottenham’s coaches.

The revelation means he could have become the first Nigerian-born winger to play for the north London club, years before John Chiedozie and, later, Arnaut Danjuma.

Speaking on ThePlayzone podcast, Odegbami openly recalled how the extraordinary opportunity slipped away.

“I went there for a trial, and I ended up in the Empire Ballroom dancing with ….. and I never went.”

A career that could have taken a different path

The missed Tottenham opportunity was one of the few major regrets in an otherwise remarkable career for Odegbami.

The 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner spent 14 years with Shooting Stars, becoming synonymous with the Ibadan-based club and establishing himself as one of Africa’s finest attacking players.

His performances earned him recognition well beyond Nigeria, including several high finishes in the African Player of the Year rankings.

Odegbami recalled just how highly he was regarded during his peak.

“I was first to be listed in the top ten in Africa. I was the first to be the third-best player in Africa. I was the first to be the second-best in Africa.”

His belief that he could have gone on to claim the continent’s biggest individual honour was strengthened by Shooting Stars’ success in continental competition.

Odegbami believes he was on course for African glory

Odegbami particularly pointed to the 1984 African Cup of Champions Clubs, when Shooting Stars were competing for continental honours.

He believes winning the competition would have strengthened his case for being crowned Africa’s best player.

“I should have won the African Best Player award in 1984 if we had won in Lagos the African Cup of Champions Clubs.”

However, the forward’s ambitions were derailed by injury in the semi-finals.

“In the semifinals, I got injured. I was on course to becoming Africa’s best player.”

The setback came during a period when Odegbami was already firmly established among the continent’s elite.

A Spurs move that never happened

Although his Tottenham opportunity disappeared, Odegbami’s reputation continued to grow through his exploits with Shooting Stars.

He helped the club win the African Cup Winners’ Cup, the Nigerian FA Cup and the Nigerian top-flight title, cementing his status as one of the country’s greatest footballers.

The Tottenham story, nevertheless, remains a fascinating chapter in his career because of how close he came to becoming a pioneer for Nigerian players in English football.

Instead of joining Spurs, Odegbami remained with Shooting Stars and continued building a legacy that would eventually earn him legendary status in Nigeria.