Nigeria defender Temple Emekayi has joined Lebanese Premier League club Shabab Al-Sahel from Rivers United, completing a move abroad on 20 September 2026.
The 28-year-old centre-back leaves the Nigerian top flight after more than seven years with Rivers United, where he established himself as a regular defender. Emekayi joined the Port Harcourt-based club in January 2019 and made 144 appearances in the Nigeria Professional Football League, contributing one assist.
Emekayi also brings continental experience to his new club. He played 13 times in the CAF Confederation Cup and made eight appearances in the CAF Champions League, alongside three NPFL play-off outings.
His time at Rivers United included a Nigerian championship triumph in the 2021-22 season. That title remains the major honour recorded during his senior career and provides the main competitive achievement from his spell in Nigeria before his move to Lebanon.
Born in Port Harcourt on 1 May 1998, Emekayi is a right-footed defender whose primary position is centre-back. His career has been built largely in Nigerian football, with Rivers United accounting for the available record of his senior club career.
The switch moves him from the NPFL to the Lebanese Premier League and gives Shabab Al-Sahel a defender with experience of domestic, play-off and African club competition. His record includes 168 appearances across those competitions, with more than 13,000 minutes played.
Emekayi’s arrival also represents an important change of footballing environment for the Nigeria-born defender after his long association with Rivers United. He now begins the next stage of his career with Shabab Al-Sahel, who become his first club outside Nigeria.
The transfer was registered on 20 September 2026, with Emekayi joining Shabab Al-Sahel from Rivers United.