Michael Essien executive, Zainuri Hasyim said that Persib have now released Essien because the club already filling their maximum quota of foreign players based on the PSSI's regulation. Essien's international career started with the Ghana under-17 national team, the "Black Starlets", when he played in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand and won the bronze medal. In 2001, despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament, Essien participated in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship with the "Black Satellites" in Argentina, where the nation finished runners-up to Argentina. His exceptional performances captured the attention of many and
E. U. Essien-Udom of the Center for Development Studies; and member of the Governing Council, all of the University of Cross River State, Uyo, Nigeria (1984–86). With a political perspective inspired by Garveyism and Pan-Africanism, Essien-Udom (dubbed the "black power professor" by University of Ibadan students) was intensely public spirited and committed to institution building. He was involved in public service outside the university: executive secretary (1957/58) and then president (1960/61), All African Students Union of the Americas; leader of a delegation to the Pan-African Student Conference in London, 1960; non-resident tutor, Dunstan Hall, Harvard University; Master of Independence Hall, University of Ibadan