Daniel Demenenge Daga (born 10 January, 2007) is a Nigerian youth international footballer who plays in midfield for Nigeria Premier Football League side Enyimba F.C. and the Nigeria national under-20 football team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Demenenge Daga | ||
| Date of birth | 10 January 2007 | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Enyimba F.C. | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2022 | Carabana FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022 | One Rocket FC | 7 | (2) |
| 2022-2023 | Dakkada | 17 | (9) |
| 2023- | Enyimba | 10 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023- | Nigeria U20 | 6 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:15, 07 June 2023 (UTC) | |||
Early life
Daga is from Makurdi, Benue State, in central Nigeria.[2]
Career
Daga was in a football academy at Carabana FC. Daga’s had a breakthrough with the F.C. One Rocket first team in early 2022, competing in the Nigeria National League. That same year Daga then moved to play for Dakkada F.C. in the Nigeria Professional Football League.[3] He joined Enyimba F.C. in September 2023.
Daniel Daga made his Nigeria Premier Football League debut on the 8th of October 2023, playing 87 minutes against Gombe United. Enyimba lost the game 2-0. Daga won the first Infinix Man of the Match award from Enyimba against Kwara United on the 5th of November. He recorded 11 ball recoveries, had 1 big chance created, had 10 successful tackles, won 8 aerial duels, won 7 interceptions and had a 90% pass Accuracy. [4]
International career
Daga was man of the match in three of the Nigeria national under-20 football team’s qualifying matches for the 2023 U20 AFCON tournament.[5] Daga played the opening game of the AFCON U20 tournament against Senegal in February 2023.[6] However, a knee injury sustained in the match ruled him out of the tournament.[7]
In May 2023 he was the youngest player selected in the Nigeria squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[8] He started all Nigeria’s games until they were knocked out of the tournament at the quarter-finals to South Korea U-20.[9] He received praise for his performances at the tournament.[10] His performance in a victory of Italy U-20 at the tournament led to him being labelled a “star in the making”.[11]
In March 2024, he was named in the a Nigeria squad for the delayed 2023 African Games in Ghana.[12]
Style of play
Daga has been described as a holding midfielder and a disruptive, defensively-minded player.[13][14][15]
Career statistics
- As of match played 2 December 2023
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Enyimba | 2023–24 | Nigeria Premier Football League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |