Nwankwo Obiora MON (born 12 July 1991) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Portuguese Liga 3 club Académica.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nwankwo Obiora[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 July 1991 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kaduna, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Académica | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | ECO | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | → Heartland | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | → Wikki Tourists | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Real Murcia | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Inter Milan | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Parma | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012 | → Gubbio (loan) | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Padova (loan) | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → CFR Cluj (loan) | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | CFR Cluj | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Córdoba | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Académica | 38 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Levadiakos | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Boavista | 38 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Chaves | 37 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Académica | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Nigeria U-20 | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Nigeria U-23 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012– | Nigeria | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 June 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 June 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
editObiora began his career with Lagos based club ECO FC,[2] before he signed for Heartland. He was loaned to Wikki Tourists in July 2008.[3]
He then left Heartland to sign a contract with Real Murcia on 11 May 2009[4] that ran through 30 June 2010.[5]
Internazionale
editOn 28 November 2009 it was announced that Internazionale signed Obiora from Eco FC.[6] At first the youngster was a part of Inter's primavera squad managed by Fulvio Pea.[7] Obiora made his first-team debut in a UEFA Champions League match against Tottenham in London, coming on as a substitute for the injured Sulley Muntari in the 53rd minute.
Parma
editAfter not making an impact at the Milan club, Nwankwo Obiora moved to Parma on 31 January 2011 in a co-ownership deal for €300,000.[8] The deal was renewed in June 2011[8][9] and again in June 2012. He was loaned to Calcio Padova in 2012–13 season. Parma subsidized Padova for €200,000 in terms of premi di valorizzazione.[10]
CFR Cluj
editOn 6 February 2013, Romanian champions CFR Cluj announced that they brought the midfielder on a temporary basis, with a buyout clause to make the move permanent in the summer.[11] In June 2013 Parma also purchased the remain 50% registration rights of Nwankwo from Inter (as part of the return of Galimberti and Mella to Inter),[nb 1][10] in order to re-sell the registration rights to Cluj for free.[12]
Académica
editOn 23 July 2014, after a small stint with Córdoba in Segunda División, Obiora signed a three-year deal with Primeira Liga side Académica de Coimbra.[13] He made his debut in a 1–1 home draw against Sporting CP. Obiora scored his first goal for Académica on 1 November, in a 1–1 draw against Moreirense.
Levadiakos
editOn 15 September 2016, Levadiakos officially announced the signing of Nwankwo.[14]
Boavista
editObiora signed for Boavista for the 2018–19 season. In March 2019 he talked about how injuries had affected his earlier career.[15]
Later career
editIn July 2021, after having spent a year without a club, Obiora joined Liga Portugal 2 club Chaves.[16]
In January 2024, Obiora returned to Académica, competing in Liga 3.[17]
International career
editHe was a member of the Nigeria U-20 squad which took part at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, the 2009 WAFU U-20 Championship,[18] and the 2009 African Youth Championship in Rwanda.[19]
He was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.[20]
Honours
editClub
editInternazionale
2013 African Cup of Nations
International
editNigeria
Individual
editOrders
Member of the Order of the Niger[21]
Footnotes
edit- ^ The provision for co-ownership debt was €300,000, Parma received co-ownership income of €200,000 for the different of the actual price and the provision.
References
edit- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009™: List of Players: Nigeria" (PDF). FIFA. 6 October 2009. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2009.
- ^ "Nigeria U-20 Midfielder Obiora Nwankwo Moves To Italy | Goal.com". Goal. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ "Best Football Cleats". Football Central. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ "Kick Off – South Africa Obiora to Murcia in July". Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ Nwankwo joins Spanish Liga Archived 13 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Fussball auf 4-4-2.com | das Schweizer Fussballportal". 4-4-2.com (in German). Retrieved 28 March 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Primavera: mercato, Obiora per Pea". FC Internazionale – Inter Milan. Archived from the original on 24 February 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ a b Parma F.C. S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2011. PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Movimenti di mercato e compartecipazioni" [Market movements and co-ownerships]. Parma F.C. fcparma.com. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Parma F.C. S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2013 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
- ^ "Bun venit, Nwankwo Obiora!" [Welcome, Nwankwo Obiora!]. CFR Cluj. cfr1907.ro. 6 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ Parma F.C. S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2014 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
- ^ "Lucas Mineiro e Obiora são reforços da Académica". academica-oaf.pt. 23 July 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "Στον ΛΕΒΑΔΕΙΑΚΟ και ο Nwankwo Obiora". levadiakosfc.gr. 15 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ^ Oluwashina Okeleji (30 March 2019). "Nwankwo Obiora: Forgotten Nigerian midfielder keen to make up for lost time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "OFICIAL: Desp. Chaves anuncia Nwankwo Obiora" [OFFICIAL: Desp. Chaves announces Nwankwo Obiora]. TVI Notícias (in Portuguese). 20 July 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ "Obiora regressa à Académica" [Obiora returns to Académica]. Record (in Portuguese). 25 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ "Nwankwo Lands Murcia Deal". Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "TimesLIVE". Retrieved 28 March 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Oluwashina Okeleji (10 January 2013). "Nations Cup 2013: Nigeria pick six locally-based players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (13 February 2013). "Presidential reward for Super Eagles". Sport. BBC. Lagos. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
External links
edit- Nwankwo Obiora at ForaDeJogo (archived)
