Slovenian top-tier club NK Celje have officially secured the services of Super Eagles midfielder, Papa Daniel, on a three-year contract.
The club confirmed the acquisition in a statement published on their official website on Wednesday.
“Celje Football Club announces that it has reached an agreement with the Nigerian Premier League club Niger Tornadoes for the transfer of defensive midfielder Papa Daniel. The 23-year-old Nigerian international has signed a contract with NK Celje until 30.6.2028.
“Daniel acquired and perfected his football skills at the Fackson Nextpro Football Academy, where he first seriously drew attention to himself and won his first European championship at the age of nineteen.
“In Turkey, he strengthened the ranks of Adanaspor. After a year, he returned to his homeland and played for Sporting Supreme FC for two and a half seasons. From there, before the start of last season, his path led him to Niger Tornadoes, where he shone again and won his second European championship with his performances.
“In the 2024/25 season, he scored 4 goals and contributed 3 assists in 21 matches in the NPFL (Nigerian Premier League).
“He had a great season and earned a call-up to the national team. He didn’t get a chance to play in March – Nigeria beat Rwanda and drew with Zimbabwe in the qualifiers for the World Cup in the USA – but his moment came at the end of May in a friendly match against Ghana (a 2-1 win).
“Papa, welcome to Celje!”
Daniel had earlier played a pivotal role in the qualification of Nigeria’s home-based squad for the 2024 African Nations Championship, featuring prominently in their 3-1 aggregate victory over Ghana.
However, his name was omitted from the provisional CHAN squad following confirmation of his impending move abroad, which ruled him out of the home-based setup.
With this new chapter in Slovenia, Papa Daniel is set to continue his impressive rise on the European stage.
