Hamzat Ojediran once played for Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets. Now he lines up in MLS alongside Thomas Muller. And after their teams met last week, the German legend had something to say to him.
On April 25, Colorado Rapids faced Vancouver Whitecaps in a regular MLS fixture. Vancouver won 3-1, with Muller registering an assist for the opening goal.
Ojediran played the full 90 minutes for Colorado in defensive midfield, completing 50 accurate passes but struggling to contain Vancouver’s movement and committing six fouls, the most of any player on the pitch.
The game ended. The result was difficult. Then Muller sought him out.
The 2014 World Cup winner and Bayern Munich icon took time after the match to speak directly to the 22-year-old Nigerian midfielder, offering advice and encouragement. Ojediran later shared the moment publicly.
“Thank you for the advice and kind words senior man, Thomas Muller. Real Recognize Real. Danke!”
He did not reveal exactly what Muller said. But the gesture itself tells a story about the kind of person Thomas Muller is. Nigerian fans following Ojediran’s MLS journey can find all the latest on FootballInNigeria.com.ng alongside the Bet9ja YOHAIG welcome offer.
Who Is Hamzat Ojediran?
Ojediran, 22, is a central midfielder born in Nigeria who came through to represent the Golden Eaglets at youth level before building his professional career in Europe.
He previously played for RC Lens in France before making the move to Colorado Rapids in MLS. This season he has made 10 appearances, scoring once and maintaining a 91% passing accuracy that reflects his strengths as a ball-circulating defensive anchor. Those who want to follow Nigerian players in MLS and across European football can use the Bet9ja YOHAIG welcome bonus before the next MLS matchday.
Muller in MLS: Still the Raumdeuter
Thomas Muller joined Vancouver Whitecaps after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the 2024-25 season, bringing one of football’s most intelligent footballing minds to North America.
In nine MLS appearances this season, he has scored four goals and provided one assist while maintaining 83% passing accuracy. His famous “Raumdeuter” style, built on movement, positioning and reading space, has translated seamlessly to MLS. The fact that after winning against Ojediran’s Colorado Rapids, he chose to spend time encouraging a young Nigerian midfielder rather than celebrating, says everything about the man’s character. New Bet9ja users wanting to follow the MLS season and Nigerian players abroad can get started at Bet9ja’s MLS betting page.
📌 Did You Know?
- Thomas Muller won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany and scored in multiple World Cup tournaments, making him one of the most prolific German players in the history of the competition with 10 World Cup goals.
- Muller’s “Raumdeuter” role, a German word meaning “space interpreter,” was a tactical concept developed at Bayern Munich that described his unique ability to find and exploit pockets of space in ways that traditional positional analysis could not fully capture.
- Hamzat Ojediran previously played for RC Lens in France’s Ligue 1, one of the more competitive leagues in European football, giving him top-level European experience before his move to MLS with Colorado Rapids.
- Colorado Rapids, Ojediran’s MLS club, are based in Commerce City, Colorado and play at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, one of the few purpose-built football stadiums in Major League Soccer.
- Vancouver Whitecaps, Muller’s current club, are one of the founding clubs of the modern MLS expansion era and have a passionate supporter base in British Columbia, Canada, giving the club a distinctly different cultural identity from the American MLS franchises.
- Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, for whom Ojediran starred at youth level, have won the FIFA U17 World Cup five times, more than any other nation, making alumni of the programme some of the most recognisable youth football alumni in the world.
- Muller’s decision to end his career at Bayern Munich and move to MLS rather than a smaller European club reflects the league’s growing status as a destination for elite players seeking competitive football in a less pressurised environment than Europe’s top five leagues.
