The 19 year old Molde midfielder has risen quickly from Nigerian club football to Norway, and now carries big Olympic hopes in Lubumbashi.
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Molde midfielder Daniel Daga has arrived in Lubumbashi as a key figure in Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles squad for Friday’s 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifier against DR Congo, as FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports. The 19-year-old is from Makurdi in Benue State.
Daga is a versatile player who can operate as a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder or even in central defence. He came through FC One Rocket, with loan spells at Dakkada and Enyimba.
He joined Enyimba in September 2023 and helped the club reach the CAF Confederation Cup group stage. Readers following Nigerian youth talent can see the Bet9ja promotion code highlights.
Daga moved to Molde in January 2025 on a three-year deal, after signing a pre-contract in 2024. In August, he signed a new five year contract that keeps him in Norway until the summer of 2031.
His youth record is strong. Daga won the WAFU-B tournament with the Flying Eagles in 2022 and played at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. He then starred at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where Nigeria reached the quarter-finals and lost to South Korea on penalties.
Reports say he suffered a knee injury at the 2023 U-20 AFCON before bouncing back to shine at the World Cup. That experience should help him in a tense away game. New readers curious about welcome offers can read these Bet9ja booking code basics.
Nigeria missed the last two men’s Olympic football tournaments and last qualified in 2016, when they won bronze in Rio. The winner of the DR Congo tie will face Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso in March 2027.
Friday’s first leg is at the TP Mazembe Stadium, with assistant coach Deniran Ortega on the touchline in Eric Chelle’s absence. The return leg is on Tuesday, November 17, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
A midfielder who has already grown up in Norway will need composure at a tough away venue. Can Daga’s calm control the middle of the pitch? New Bet9ja users can look up the YOHAIG code for Bet9ja sign-ups.
Whatever happens on Friday, Daga’s rise from Benue to Norway shows how quickly a young Nigerian midfielder can grow.
📌 Did You Know?
- Daga was born on January 10, 2007.
- He was 18 when he completed his move to Molde in January 2025.
- FC One Rocket confirmed his transfer in a statement praising his rise through the ranks.
- Molde are known for developing Nigerian talent.
- At the 2025 U-20 World Cup, Nigeria beat Norway 1-0 and Saudi Arabia 3-2 and drew 1-1 with Colombia in Group F, with Daga playing all 90 minutes in each game.