Osazemwinde Peter Odemwingie, (born July 15, 1981 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Soviet Union), is a Nigerian-Russian[1] football player born to a Russian mother and a Nigerian father. His name, Osaze, means "God chooses (for you)".[2] He plays as a striker for Russian Premier League side Lokomot

Club

Raised in Russia, Odemwingie chose to pledge his allegiances to the national football team of Nigeria, although he was also eligible for Russia. Odemwingie first plied his trade the Belgian club La Louviere and made his mark by helping the club to win the Belgian Cup his first year playing. Scoring 9 goals in 44 appearances got the attention of the French Ligue 1 side Lille managing team and before long he was starting on the squad in the French Ligue 1. Famous for his technique and pace, the Nigerian player was being watched by some of the prestigious European clubs.^[3] Odemwingie indicated he wanted to stay at Lille and help them fight for the league the next season and scored 5 goals for them in the 2007-2008 season^{[citation needed]} as well as two against AC Milan at the San Siro to take Lille to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. However, in July 2007, the club couldn't resist a $14 million offer from Lokomotiv Moscow.^[4]

National team

Odemwingie chose to represent Nigeria where his father was born . His first appearance was in the 2004 African Cup of Nations in which he scored his first and second goal in the 80th and 82nd minute against South Africa. He also played in the 2006 African Cup of Nations where he played in the semi-final losing to Ivory Coast 1-0. He was included to play for Nigeria in the 2008 African Cup of Nations. He captained the team for the 2010 African Nations Cup, and when Nigeria bowed out of the competition at the semi-final stage, Odemwingie controversially openly criticized coach Shaibu Amodu's tactics, blaming them for the defeat.^[5]

[edit] Goals for senior national team

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
	November 25, 2007	Lagos, Nigeria	Sierra Leone	4-1	Won	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

[edit] Beijing Olympics

He was selected as the only over-aged player of the Nigerian football team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He scored a goal and assisted one in the entire tournament. Nigeria eventually lost the final to defending champions Argentina.