Exit Nigeria but Sodje still has his souvenirs

Here's a question which will confound contestants of sports quizzes of the future: which player who had just been relegated with Crewe Alexandra to the Nationwide Second Division participated in an England World Cup game? A clue: he was wearing a bandanna at the time. Now it will be clearer.

It will fulfil an implausible dream when the London-born Nigerian full-back lines up against whomever Sven Goran Eriksson deploys on England's left flank in Osaka on Wednesday. Emile Heskey, maybe? That would be highly appropriate for Sodje, a long-time Liverpool fan. It would also offer him an ideal opportunity to add the striker's shirt to the one he has taken off the back of Gabriel Batistuta. In the nicest possible way, of course.

Though he didn't feature in the defeat by Sweden which ended Nigeria's World Cup hopes, the opening game of their campaign, against Argentina last Sunday, will remain long with the man whose progress has taken him through football's backwaters. He has travelled from non-League Stevenage to Macclesfield where, under Sammy McIlroy's management, Sodje's side gained promotion to the League, Luton Town and Colchester United, before finally reaching the zenith of Gresty Road.

Those with an eye for such detail were swift to notice that during the contest at Ibaraki Sodje, who has worn a bandanna in games since he first emerged for Stevenage, was playing without it. "Everything was fine until I got into the tunnel and then the ref told me I had to take it off," he explained. "If he'dspoken to me much earlier that would obviously have been different, but it was right at the last minute when we were coming out. I just had to get over it and get on with the game and think about it later."

Sodje revealed that the bandanna was far more than mere fashion accessory. "I wear it because it has religious significance for my mum. She has her own beliefs, so I follow her. She believes it's important. I can't question it."

Team officials have appealed against the decision and, by Wednesday, he hopes to be back wearing the bandanna which he also regards as something of a lucky charm. "If they don't let me wear it I won't kill myself. I'd spoken to my mum about it, but she just said: 'Whatever happens, accept it, because it's the World Cup, and it's your only chance'."

Sodje, 29, who lives with his doctor wife, Susannah – with the expertise he gained from a business degree, they have plans eventually to run an old people's home together – intends to frame the shirts he accumulates and display them in the gym he is having built at his new home near Nantwich, Cheshire.

When we met at the Nigerian team hotel in Seisin, a few miles from England's base-camp on Awaji island, Sodje said: "I've done everything step by step and kept moving on. I've always had a strong will. I've played in every league in England except the Premiership. I'd love to do that. But even if I don't, I've played for my country and I've been to the World Cup."

His cause was assisted when Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, a former schoolteacher, succeeded coach Shaibu Amodu after Nigeria failed to reach the final of the African Nations' Cup in February. After being defeated by Senegal in the semi-finals, Nigeria were described by one critic as "old horses who have had too many pregnancies".

The new coach, aged 64, who was last in charge of Nigeria 18 years ago, has caused some disquiet by omitting Ipswich's Finidi George and the former captain, Sunday Oliseh, from his squad following a feud over expenses. He has also looked beyond those playing for established big-name clubs. Hence the presence of Sodje.

"I was out of the Nigeria side from 2000 but, thank God, we had a new coach and he brought me back in," he said. "Before the game against Argentina my wife was nervous, but I told her: 'Honestly, I'm not'. It helped me when Kanu came up and said: 'Just go out there and enjoy it. It's not every day that you're here like this'. And I went out and I loved it."

There is wonderment in Sodje's tone that he is sharing a dressing room with the likes of Arsenal's Kanu, defender Taribo West (once of Derby County, currently club-less), the majestic midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha of Paris St-Germain and Julius Aghahowa of the Ukraine club Shakhtar Donetsk, famed for his extravagant goalscoring celebrations. Though born in London, Sodje never doubted that his destiny lay with the land of his parents, Chief Samuael and Elizabeth. "It will be strange, playing against England, but there are a lot of players born in the same country who play against each other. We have a Nigerian [Emmanuel Olidsadebe] who plays for Poland."

Despite reports that Dario Gradi had threatened to sack Sodje over a club v country dispute (which the player denies), the Crewe manager prepared a special two-week training programme for him before he left for pre-tournament camp. "Dario was very happy for me that I was going to the World Cup, even though it has been a bad season for us. I have to put that out of mind. Then afterwards I will go back and try to help Crewe win promotion."

Many routes may pass through Crewe, but never has there been a journey directly from there to the destination of a World Cup. Despite the disappointment, Sodje is a contented traveller. Nothing like beingupgraded from second-class to first.