Ukraine's Nigerian duo

Okoronkwo (l) and Aghahowa: First Nigerians in Ukrainian football

It was a first round group match between Nigeria and Australia in the soccer tournament at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games which the West Africans won 3-2.

Striker Julius Aghahowa got the ball and from a tight angle flicked it over the Australian goalkeeper into the net...then, in celebration, he threw a dozen somersaults.

The Communist culture and cold weather doesn't bother me

  Isaac Okoronkwo

The crowd roared in delight with the acrobatic display and one fan said he thought he was watching a gymnastics show rather than a football match.

Afterwards, he increased the number of the somersaults to land in Ukraine and sign for the country's leading club Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 'first' Nigerian

Okoronkwo played in Qatar and Russia before moving to the Ukraine

In that same Nigerian Olympic team, defender Isaac Okoronkwo plugged the holes at the back.

Okoronkwo, who was the first Nigerian to play in Ukraine, had already spent one season with Shakhtar Donetsk after moving from Russian club Sherif Raspor.

Aghahowa joined the club last December from Tunisian club Esperance FC.

Born May 1, 1978, Okoronkwo began his club career with first division Nigerian side Enyimba FC in his southern commercial home town of Aba.

He then moved to Lagos-based Julius Berger; had a six-month playing contract with Rayispor of Qatar and later returned to Nigeria to join Iwuanyanwu Nationale, also in the south.

"The move to Qatar was boring and disastrous. And while the coach wanted to keep me the club lacked money so I had to leave," he said.

In 1998, after just one season with Iwuanyanwu, he sealed a deal with Russian side Sherif Raspor and early in 2000, Shakhtar Donetsk officials came calling.

"Agha-wonder"

Aghahowa's somersaults have made him very popular with the fans

Aghahowa, (who is 19 on February 12) begun his club career with the amateur side "Police Machine", based in the police barracks where he was raised in Benin City in the mid-west.

Before football he had tried his hand - or rather his body - at gymnastics but gave it up.

The city's top club Bendel Insurance were at his doorstep with contract papers after he scored a fantastic goal against them in an FA Cup tie.

And his thrilling performances in the Nigerian league soon attracted coaches of the national under-20 youth team.

After a bit-part role at the 1999 African Youth Championships in Ghana where Nigeria won the silver medal, he stamped his authority on the team at the World Youth Cup, hosted by Nigeria same year, scoring the opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Costa Rica.

The Nigerians did not progress beyond the quarter-finals but scouts from Tunisia's Esperance were impressed by the feat of Aghahowa and offered him a contract.

Tunisian frustration

"Tunisia was fun and wonderful," said Aghahowa.

"The fans loved me and I enjoyed every bit of my football career there, scoring goals and celebrating them with acrobatic flips to their pleasant surprise," he added.

To avoid distractions, I got married to my fiancée, a Nigerian university undergraduate, last December

  Aghahowa

But the Tunisian romance soon turned sour for Aghahowa, after his outstanding performance for Nigeria at the 2000 African Nations Cup tournament, where he scored three goals in two games.

He said several European clubs wanted to sign him but Esperance officials did not want him to leave, so they placed a "ridiculously high transfer fee on me".

He was so frustrated by the Tunisians' attitude that he later returned to Nigeria, preferring to play in locally-organised charity matches.

"I waited, and after the Olympics in Sydney, when the transfer window opened and the Ukrainians came I didn't think twice in signing for them," he said.

Eastern culture

He said he only knew about Shakhtar Donetsk after watching them on television on few occasions in the European Champions League, which was "a key point."

I want to score goals for them, of course celebrate with somersaults and enjoy every bit of the football there

  Aghahowa

"Seeing Isaac playing for them also contributed to my joining them. And he was helpful in the few weeks I spent there after signing," he said.

Okoronkwo said playing in Russia helped him to adjust to the fast pace and physical football in Ukraine, adding: "And the Communist culture and cold weather doesn't bother me because it's same as in Russia."

Aghahowa does not think he will have a problem in settling down to "doing what I know best" for the Ukrainian side.

"I want to score goals for them, of course, celebrate with somersaults and enjoy every bit of the football there."

Looking west

The duo are planning to use the club as a launch pad for playing in western Europe. Okoronkwo, who is still single, said: "The dream of every footballer is to move from the bottom to the top.

"I want to play for a bigger club outside eastern Europe."

Aghahowa added: "To avoid distractions, I got married to my fiancée, a Nigerian university undergraduate, last December and I believe doing this double of getting a new club and marrying will propel me to greater heights."

Both players are key figures in Nigeria's national team, the Super Eagles.