One of Nigerian football’s most well-travelled forwards has found a new home, with Peter Olayinka completing a free move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Wehda.
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Nigerian forward Peter Olayinka has completed a permanent transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Wehda, Complete Sports reports.
Olayinka joined the Red Giants on a free transfer after parting ways with Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia, where he scored two goals in 14 league appearances during a brief stint that followed his exit from Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade.
A Career Built Across Six Countries
The 30 year old has built a reputation as one of the most well travelled players to come out of Nigeria, with spells in Albania, Cyprus, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Serbia before his latest move to the Gulf. His most successful period came at Czech First League side Slavia Prague, where he won four league titles and three Czech Cups across a five-year stay, establishing himself as a fan favourite and a regular in European competition.
He followed that with a move to Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade in 2023, helping the club complete a domestic double in his first season before a mutual contract termination in October 2025 brought his Belgrade spell to an early close after 11 games of the new season. A subsequent stint at APOEL Nicosia proved short, setting the stage for this switch to Saudi Arabia.
Modest International Return
Olayinka made his Super Eagles debut as a late substitute against Brazil in October 2019 and was part of Nigeria’s squad at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, featuring as a substitute in wins over Guinea-Bissau and Tunisia. Despite his consistent club form over the years, he remains a fringe figure at international level, with only a handful of caps to his name.
📌 Did You Know?
- Olayinka’s professional career began in Albania with Bylis in 2012, before loan spells in Cyprus and further stops in Belgium set him on the path to Central Europe.
- He won back to back Albanian Superliga titles with Skenderbeu Korce in 2014-15 and 2015-16, completing a domestic double in his second season there.
- The Albanian Football Association reportedly made attempts to convince Olayinka to become the first African player to represent Albania’s national team, before he ultimately debuted for Nigeria in 2019.
- Olayinka is married to Nollywood actress Yetunde Barnabas, and the couple’s relationship has drawn attention in Nigerian entertainment media alongside his football career.
- He was honoured with a farewell testimonial match, dubbed the “Olayinka Cup,” when he departed Slavia Prague in 2023 after five years at the club.
- Al Wehda, Olayinka’s new club, are based in Mecca and compete in the Saudi Pro League, part of a growing wave of Saudi clubs recruiting experienced attacking talent from Europe.
- Olayinka scored twice as Red Star Belgrade won the Serbian Super League title in the 2023/24 season, his first campaign in Serbia.
