Nigerian Midfielder Hamzat Ojediran Completes Move to Colorado Rapids

Nigerian midfielder Hamzat Ojediran has officially signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Colorado Rapids, completing his transfer from French Ligue 1 club RC Lens. The 22 year old has agreed a deal that will keep him with the Rapids through at least the 2028-29 season, with club options extending through 2030-31.

Ojediran will occupy an international roster slot for Colorado and is expected to join the team once his international transfer clearance and P-1 visa are finalised. The midfielder made 17 appearances for Lens in Ligue 1, scoring once, and brings both European experience and defensive midfield qualities to his new club.

Rapids president Pádraig Smith and head coach Matt Wells have both expressed excitement about the addition, praising Ojediran’s physical presence, technical ability and defensive discipline traits they believe will help the team impose its style in MLS.

Editorial

In an age where the flow of talent knows few borders, Hamzat Ojediran’s move to the Colorado Rapids is emblematic of football’s expanding geography a narrative of aspiration that stretches from Lagos to Lens, and now to the American shores of Major League Soccer.

At 22, Ojediran arrives not as a raw prospect but as a seasoned performer whose journey has threaded through diverse leagues from the Albanian pitches of KF Egnatia to Hungary’s Debreceni VSC and on to France’s top flight with RC Lens. Each chapter refined his game, shaping a midfielder capable of both disruption and transition the kind of combative presence MLS teams increasingly prize.

Colorado’s decision to place long-term faith in him a contract through 2028-29 with subsequent options speaks volumes about the club’s vision. They are not merely acquiring a body in midfield they are investing in a profile that blends physicality with tactical awareness, one that complements the Rapids’ ambitions in a league where tempo and intensity are key.

Yet beyond the professional calculus lies an intriguing human story a young Nigerian navigating the complexities of continental football, adapting and enduring through successive shifts in culture and competition. Ojediran’s path underscores football’s universal truth that the journey matters as much as the destination. In Colorado, he inherits not just a squad number but an opportunity to carve identity in a league that prizes resilience as much as skill.

If Ojediran thrives, it will be more than a transfer success. It will be a testament to belief, adaptability and the subtle art of transitioning promise into presence. And for MLS, it will signal yet another chapter in its evolving relationship with global talent one where aspiration meets opportunity, and where careers are rewritten in new colours.

Did You Know?

1. Youth World Cup Experience Ojediran represented Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, appearing in all four of the team’s matches at the tournament.
2. Early Career Beginnings He began his professional football journey with KF Egnatia in Albania, before moving on loan to Hungary’s Debreceni VSC.
3. European Journey Ojediran’s transfer to Lens was a club-record signing for Debreceni VSC, underlining the promise he showed in Hungary prior to his Ligue 1 move.
4. Versatile Midfielder While primarily a defensive midfielder, he has also contributed to attacks in earlier parts of his career with goals and assists in Hungary’s top division.
5. MLS Roster Spot His signing fills an international roster spot for Colorado Rapids, highlighting the league’s structured roster rules regarding player nationality.