Festus Agu
Encyclopedia
Festus Agu is a retired Nigeria
n footballer who played as a striker.
, and began his football career in his home country playing for several local clubs, notably ACB Lagos
, Bendel United
and Enugu Rangers
. During his development years, he was considered to be the most promising footballer in the country.
At the age of 19, Agu moved abroad joining Club Bolívar
in Bolivia
, having no impact whatsoever in one season.
, joining La Liga
outfit SD Compostela
. The club's chairman José María Caneda described him as "...a mix between Ronaldo
and Bent Christensen" (the latter a player in the team). During his stint, he shared teams with countryman Christopher Ohen
but played only eight times in the season, going scoreless in the process.
In the following campaign, Agu was loaned to Galician neighbours CD Ourense
in the second division
, where he met exactly the same individual fate.
, starting with NOFV-Oberliga club FSV Optik Rathenow
. In his only season, he scored a career-high 14 league goals, and his performances resulted in a move to SC Fortuna Köln
in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
. After failing to find the net with Fortuna, in the following season, he signed with fellow league club FC Gütersloh; his time with the team was short-lived due to the club temporarily dissolving because of debt.
In 2000, Agu joined 1. FC Schweinfurt 05
in the Regionalliga Süd
, scoring 11 goals in his first year as the club promoted to the second level. He was not re-signed however, and subsequently stayed in the category to play for VfR Aalen
, netted 14 goals as the Baden-Württemberg
side finished in fourth place, three points shy of promotion.
In the 2002 summer, Agu returned to the second division signing for SV Wacker Burghausen
. However, he failed to replicate his previous goalscoring record and was ultimately released at the end of the season. Afterwards, he played with FC St. Pauli
in the Regionalliga Nord
, scoring six goals in his first year, but only two in the following.
.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n footballer who played as a striker.
Beginnings
Agu was born in EnuguEnugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
, and began his football career in his home country playing for several local clubs, notably ACB Lagos
ACB Lagos
ACB was a Nigerian football team based in Lagos. It was sponsored by the African Continental Bank and was a founding member of the Nigerian Premier League in 1972...
, Bendel United
Esan F.C.
Esan F.C. is a Nigerian soccer club based in Uromi, Edo State that plays in the Nigeria Amateur League. They are the current incarnation of a team whose roots go back to Flash Flamingoes F.C.- History :...
and Enugu Rangers
Enugu Rangers
Rangers International football club of Enugu popularly called Enugu Rangers is one of only two Nigerian division one football teams that has never been relegated.-History:...
. During his development years, he was considered to be the most promising footballer in the country.
At the age of 19, Agu moved abroad joining Club Bolívar
Club Bolívar
Club Bolívar, a football team from Bolivia, was founded in La Paz on April 12, 1925, with the name Atletico Bolívar Literario Musical later changed to "Club Atlético Bolívar"...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, having no impact whatsoever in one season.
Spain
In 1995, Agu ventured to SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, joining La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
outfit SD Compostela
SD Compostela
Sociedade Deportiva Compostela also known as Compostela is a Spanish football team based in Santiago de Compostela, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded on 26 June 1962, it currently plays in Preferente Autonómica.-History:...
. The club's chairman José María Caneda described him as "...a mix between Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
and Bent Christensen" (the latter a player in the team). During his stint, he shared teams with countryman Christopher Ohen
Christopher Ohen
Christopher Nusa Ohenhen , simply Ohen, is a retired Nigerian footballer who played as a striker.-Football career:...
but played only eight times in the season, going scoreless in the process.
In the following campaign, Agu was loaned to Galician neighbours CD Ourense
CD Ourense
Club Deportivo Ourense, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Ourense, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded in 1952, it plays in Tercera División - Group 1, holding home games at Estadio O Couto, which has a capacity of 5,625....
in the second division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
, where he met exactly the same individual fate.
Germany
Agu played the following eight years in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, starting with NOFV-Oberliga club FSV Optik Rathenow
FSV Optik Rathenow
FSV Optik Rathenow is a German association football club from the city of Rathenow, Brandenburg.-History:The earliest roots of football in the Rathenow area go back to the establishment of Spielvereinigung Rathenow in 1906...
. In his only season, he scored a career-high 14 league goals, and his performances resulted in a move to SC Fortuna Köln
SC Fortuna Köln
SC Fortuna Köln is a German association football club playing in the city of Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club was formed as on 21 February 1948 through the merger of three local sides: Victoria Köln 1911 , Bayenthaler SV 1920, and Sparkassen-Verein Köln 1927...
in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
. After failing to find the net with Fortuna, in the following season, he signed with fellow league club FC Gütersloh; his time with the team was short-lived due to the club temporarily dissolving because of debt.
In 2000, Agu joined 1. FC Schweinfurt 05
1. FC Schweinfurt 05
1.FC Schweinfurt 05 is a German association football club that plays in Schweinfurt, Bavaria.-History:The club was founded on 5 May 1905 and played in the local leagues. The team attempted a merger with Turngemeinde Schweinfurt von 1848 which lasted from 1928 to 1930 before the two groups parted...
in the Regionalliga Süd
Regionalliga Süd
The Regionalliga Süd is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany...
, scoring 11 goals in his first year as the club promoted to the second level. He was not re-signed however, and subsequently stayed in the category to play for VfR Aalen
VfR Aalen
VfR Aalen is a German football club based in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg.-History:The club was founded on 8 March 1921 out of the football department of the gymnastics club MTV Aalen and has led a largely unremarked existence as a lower division side...
, netted 14 goals as the Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
side finished in fourth place, three points shy of promotion.
In the 2002 summer, Agu returned to the second division signing for SV Wacker Burghausen
SV Wacker Burghausen
SV Wacker Burghausen is a German association football club based in Burghausen, Bavaria and is part of one of the nation's largest sports clubs with some 6,000 members participating in two dozen different sports.-History:...
. However, he failed to replicate his previous goalscoring record and was ultimately released at the end of the season. Afterwards, he played with FC St. Pauli
FC St. Pauli
Fußball-Club St. Pauli is a German sports club based in the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg. The football section is part of a larger club that also has Rugby Fußball-Club St. Pauli is a German sports club based in the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg. The football section is part of a larger club that...
in the Regionalliga Nord
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the northern and eastern part of Germany. It covers ten of the sixteen states of Germany...
, scoring six goals in his first year, but only two in the following.
Retirement
At the age of 30, Agu returned to his country and re-joined former team Enugu Rangers. He retired after one season and, subsequently, pursued a career in sports lawSports law
Sports law is an umbrella term used to describe the legal issues at work in the world of both amateur and professional sports. Sports law overlaps substantially with labor law, contract law, competition or antitrust law, and tort law. Issues like defamation and privacy rights are also an integral...
.