Slovakian side AS Trencin is widely viewed as a stepping stone for several Nigerian players with the likes of Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu and Kingsley Madu who are senior international for Nigeria passing through the team.
However since the exit of Hilary Gong who have been hampered by injuries since his move to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, the trend of Nigerian players using the club as a springboard to achieving big things in Europe appears to have eroded .
Philip Azango was expected to be the star at Gent after impressing for Trencin in the Europa League but the former Plateau United winger never got going at the club unlike the duo of Moses Simon and Samuel Kalu.
Azango spent two seasons at the club but only played 26 minutes of football in the Belgium top flight league and 66 minutes in the Belgium Cup. Although he wasn’t at his best physically due to injuries, sources claim he was so off the pace that the club wasted no time in severing ties with him.
Rueben Yem was resigned by the club few years after turning up for their youth team. Yem came to the club with a different agency from the one that first gave him a chance at same club as an 18 year old.
He fared worst than all of the players as he could only get one game for the Reserve team. For the two years he spent at the club he was mostly not considered a player at the level of the club hence his return to Trencin.
Ironically both players appear to be paying the price of their disloyalty as they have yet to attain the height expected of them since turning their back on the agency and people that helped them kick start their career in Europe.
