Nantes’ Awaziem Earns Ligue 1 Team of the Week Spot With Marseille Masterclass

Chidozie Awaziem is doing everything he can to keep Nantes up. And the rest of France is taking notice.

The Super Eagles defender was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Week after a commanding display in Nantes’ 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille — one of the division’s most dangerous attacking sides. Eight clearances. Six duels won. Twenty-eight of 32 passes completed. Clean sheet.

“His reading of the game and positioning helped Nantes keep a clean sheet against one of the division’s most dangerous attacking sides,” the summary noted.

The problem is the bigger picture. Nantes sit 17th on 23 points from 32 games — in the automatic relegation zone, five points from safety. Lens and Toulouse are coming up. Awaziem can have all the individual brilliance he wants. The team still needs to find points from somewhere.

He joined from Colorado Rapids last summer. Twenty-five league games, five clean sheets, one goal, two assists. The stats of a player punching above the weight of the club around him.