 Brentford's Sam Sodje would cherish a call-up for Nigeria |
Forging a career in Europe is an ambition many African players have but few actually achieve.
But three Sodje brothers and a nephew of theirs are luckier than most, it seems.
The trio - Efe, Samuel, Akpo - and nephew Onome have managed to lace their boots for English clubs.
Efe, who played at the 2002 World Cup finals with Nigeria, is captain of League One side Huddersfield, where Akpo also plays.
Samuel, 24, is with another League One team, Brentford,while Onome plays for the youth team of Premiership club Charlton Athletic.
 |  I'm not surprised to see my sons playing football. |
Efe has played in every division except the Premiership, having had spells at Stevenage, Crewe, Colchester and Luton.
"I've played in every division except the Premiership, but what can I do?" the 32-year-old told BBC Sport.
"Clubs have not come in for me. I sometimes reflect on my career and my failure to secure a Premiership contract is painful.
"But the moment I cherish most in my career was playing for Nigeria at the World Cup in Japan and Korea, after a surprise call-up for the 2000 African Cup of Nations finals.
"I look forward to resuming my international career with Nigeria."
| My failure to secure a Premiership contract is painful |
Akpo, 22, joined Huddersfield last September from non-league club Erith and Belvedere and is keen to follow in the footsteps of his elder sibling.
"I'm happy playing alongside my brother," Akpo said.
"I have much to learn from him and if I'm patient enough, I know my time will come."
Yet the Sodje sibling who has recently been earning the plaudits of the English media is Samuel.
The defender was the Brentford hero in a dramatic FA Cup comeback against Southampton last month, heading home the equaliser in the 2-2 draw in the fifth round tie at the Premiership side.
 Efe Sodje played for Nigeria at the 2002 World Cup |
"Scoring in such a game is the dream of all players and I'm happy that I did it in the presence of my family," said Samuel, whose father had flown over from Lagos to watch the match.
Yet Samuel's FA Cup dreams died when Brentford lost the replay 3-1 on Tuesday.
However, Samuel is focused on emulating Efe on the international scene.
"I want to take my game to a higher level and play for Nigeria, just like my brother," he added.
Samuel Sodje, the 73-year-old father of the three brothers in addition to another brother, Bright, who played professional rugby league in England, insists the children inherited their sporting genes from him.
"I'm not surprised to see my sons playing football," says a man who called himself a 'pretty good footballer' during his early years in the Nigerian town Warri.
"I used to play for my school and they nicknamed me 'Wizard of the Field' in those days."
The Sodje brothers are yet to play for a top-flight English side but there is a chance that Onome, their 17-year-old nephew, just might.
While he is the closest to playing in the Premiership, he says that their advice, from playing in the lower divisions, has been invaluable.
"It is good having my uncles ahead of me so that I can learn and hopefully play in the top flight," Onome told BBC Sport.
Realising that ambition would truly be another achievement in the history of this remarkable family.
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