Nikoloz "Nika" Kacharava (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ "ნიკა" კაჭარავა, romanized: nik'oloz "nik'a" k'ach'arava, pronounced [nikʼoloz nikʼa kʼatʃʼaɾava]; born 13 January 1994) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Cypriot Second Division club Spartakos. Born in Cyprus, he has played for the Georgia national team.

Nika Kacharava
Personal information
Full name Nikoloz Kacharava
Date of birth (1994-01-13) 13 January 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Nicosia, Cyprus
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Spartakos Kitiou
Youth career
2011–2012 Dinamo Tbilisi
2012–2013 Gagra
2013–2014 Rubin Kazan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 Tskhinvali 41 (25)
2016–2018 Rostov 0 (0)
2016–2017Ethnikos Achna (loan) 27 (16)
2017–2018Korona Kielce (loan) 26 (7)
2018–2022 Anorthosis Famagusta 51 (11)
2020–2021Lech Poznań (loan) 7 (1)
2022 Jeonnam Dragons 10 (2)
2023 Torpedo Kutaisi 14 (3)
2023–2024 Panevėžys 17 (2)
2024– Spartakos 0 (0)
International career
2012–2013 Georgia U19 8 (2)
2013–2016 Georgia U21 10 (6)
2016– Georgia 24 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 May 2023

Club career

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Kacharava started his career in the second team of Dinamo Tbilisi. A promising youth, he found it hard finding opportunities to break into the Tbilisi first team and signed a contract with Rubin Kazan.[1] Kacharava played several matches with the Rubin Kazan youth squads, but found it hard to break into the first team squad.[2] Kacharava got his first official contract with Rubin Kazan, but became frustrated with the lack of first team opportunities.

Kacharava moved back to Georgia and signed a contract with FC Tskhinvali. In his first season, Kacharava scored only one goal - however, in the following seasons Kacharava cemented his spot in the first team, becoming a prolific scorer and one of the top forwards in the league.[3] He attracted attention throughout Europe, eventually transferring to Rostov during one of their most successful seasons.[4]

He spent the 2016–17 season on loan in Cyprus at Ethnikos Achna, scoring 16 goals and becoming the third-best scorer of the 2016–17 Cypriot First Division.[5]

On 18 June 2017, he signed another year-long loan deal, joining the Polish club Korona Kielce.[6]

On 6 June 2018, Kacharava signed a two-year contract with the Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta.[7] On 24 January 2020, he signed a two-year contract extension, with a buy-out clause of €500,000.

On 8 February 2022, Kacharava joined South Korean K League 2 club Jeonnam Dragons.[8] A year later he returned to Georgia and moved to Torpedo Kutaisi, but left the club by mutual consent after three months.[9]

In August 2023, Kacharava signed a contract with Lithuanian club Panevėžys until the end of the season with an option of its extension.[10]

In July 2024, newly promoted second-division Cypriot club Spartakos Kitiou announced signing Kacharava.[11]

International career

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Kacharava was born in Cyprus to parents of Georgian descent – his father Kakhaber Kacharava was a member of the Georgia national team and his mother Lia Mikadze was a basketball player.[12] Kacharava had successful stints with the Georgian youth national teams, and made his debut for the senior Georgian national team in a friendly 0–0 tie with Kazakhstan.[13]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 15 May 2024[14]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tskhinvali 2013–14 Umaglesi Liga 1 0 0 0 1 0
2014–15 Umaglesi Liga 25 12 6 5 31 17
2015–16 Umaglesi Liga 15 13 2 1 2[a] 1 19 15
Total 41 25 8 6 2 1 51 32
Rostov 2015–16 Russian Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ethnikos Achna (loan) 2016/17 Cypriot First Division 27 16 2 0 29 16
Korona Kielce (loan) 2017–18 Ekstraklasa 26 7 3 2 29 9
Anorthosis Famagusta 2018–19 Cypriot First Division 23 4 3 2 1 0 27 6
2019–20 Cypriot First Division 18 6 3 0 21 6
2020–21 Cypriot First Division 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2021–22 Cypriot First Division 8 1 5 0 13 1
Total 51 11 6 2 6 0 63 13
Lech Poznań (loan) 2020–21 Ekstraklasa 7 1 1 0 6 0 14 1
Jeonnam Dragons 2022 K League 2 10 2 0 0 5[b] 1 15 3
Torpedo Kutaisi 2023 Erovnuli Liga 14 3 14 3
Panevėžys 2023 A Lyga 7 2 7 2
2024 10 0 1 1 1[c] 0 12 1
Total 17 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 19 3
Career total 193 67 21 11 19 2 1 0 234 80
  1. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearances in AFC Champions League
  3. ^ Appearance in SuperCup

International goals

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Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kacharava goal.[15]
List of international goals scored by Nika Kacharava
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 24 March 2017 Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia   Serbia 1–0 1–3 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 5 September 2020 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia   Estonia 1–0 1–0 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C
3 11 October 2020 Stadion Miejski, Tychy, Poland   Armenia 1–1 2-2 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C

Honours

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Panevėžys

References

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  1. ^ "სპორტული პორტალი - ნიკა კაჭარავა ყაზანის "რუბინის" 72-ე ნომერია". sportall.ge. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  2. ^ "Качарава Ника - Нападающий - Ростов - Kacharava Nika". news.sportbox.ru. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  3. ^ "სპორტული პორტალი - ნიკა კაჭარავა რუსულ, ბელგიურ და ჰოლანდიურ კლუბებს სურთ". sportall.ge. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  4. ^ "სპორტული პორტალი - რუსული მედია: "როსტოვმა" ნიკა კაჭარავაში 300 ათას ევრომდე გადაიხადა". sportall.ge. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  5. ^ "2016-17 Cypriot First Division Topscorers". cfa.com.cy. Cyprus Football Association. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Kaczarawa piłkarzem Korony!" (in Polish). Korona Kielce. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Στα κυανόλευκα ο Νίκα Κατσαράβα!" (in Greek). Anorthosis Famagusta FC. 7 June 2018.
  8. ^ "[오피셜] 전남, 조지아 국가대표 장신 공격수 니카 카차라바 영입" (in Korean). goal.com. 8 February 2022.
  9. ^ "ნიკა კაჭარავამ ქუთაისის "ტორპედო" დატოვა". footballnews.ge (in Georgian). 26 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Puolimo grandį papildė kartvelas". fk-panevezys.lt (in Lithuanian). 22 August 2023.
  11. ^ "ოფიციალურად - კაჭარავა ისევ კვიპროსში ითამაშებს". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Nika Kacharava: "I Leave for Austria with "Rubin" and also Prepare for Euro 2013"".
  13. ^ "Georgia 1 - 1 Kazakhstan - Match Report & Highlights". skysports.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  14. ^ Nika Kacharava at Soccerway. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Kacharava, Nika". National Football Teams. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Nika Kaczarawa". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
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