By Wakawaka Sports
Former Nigerian professional goalkeeper, Chinedu Oparanozie, has successfully transitioned from playing football to international scouting, bringing years of experience between the posts to talent identification, player recruitment and football development.
Oparanozie featured for several notable Nigerian clubs, including Eagle Cement FC, Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland FC), Julius Berger FC and Jasper United FC, during his professional playing career between 1993 and 2002.
Since 2021, he has been working as an International Scout for Heartland FC, where he is involved in identifying and evaluating players, supporting recruitment initiatives, preparing scouting reports and building international football relationships for the club.
Determined to deepen his expertise in modern football management, Oparanozie has obtained certification in Soccer Management and Scouting from Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW). He also completed the organisation’s Soccer Agent programme, receiving training in areas including FIFA regulations, player representation, contract negotiation, transfers, recruitment and career management.
The former goalkeeper is also the Chief Executive Officer of Barzo FC, Owerri, where he continues to contribute to talent discovery and player mentorship, with a particular interest in youth development and creating international opportunities for footballers.
With his combination of professional playing experience, scouting knowledge and football management training, Oparanozie is now focused on helping discover and develop emerging talents while creating opportunities for Nigerian players to advance their careers both locally and internationally.
