Ifeanyi Emeghara
Encyclopedia
Ifeanyi Innocent Emeghara (born 24 March 1984 in Lagos
) is a Nigeria
n football player. "Ifeanyi" is a nickname for the Igbo
name "Ifeanyichukwu" (meaning "Nothing is impossible with God").
A young and versatile defender
, Emeghara can be seen on both sides of the pitch and is often noted for his good technique.
Amongst his childhood friends and teammates are the likes of Obafemi Martins
and Stephen Makinwa
.
in summer 2003 and started playing for the FK Partizan
satellite club FK Teleoptik
, where he played for one season. After convincing there, he started playing for Partizan in the Serbia and Montenegro League where he played for 2 years gaining 36 appearances. With Partizan, he won one national championship in 2004–05 and made the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup
where the club lost out to the eventual champions, CSKA Moscow.
and CSKA Moscow, but he eventually chose Politehnica Timişoara.
In January 2007, he suffered a surgery on his left forearm, after he broke his arm while he was in Nigeria
on holiday. The operation was a success he went back to training in the next 3 weeks.
Emeghara had a salary of 135.000 euros per year. He was the second most used player in the 2006–07 season in Liga I playing 42 matches and a total of 2.491 minutes, after Jonathan McKain
with 2.610 minutes.
group stage. While at Steaua, Emeghara had some cardiac problems. Steaua's medical staff discovered a heart problem and the player had stop all physical efforts.
Gigi Becali
, Steaua Bucureşti's owner, said that if Emeghara will end his football career because of this medical issue he will get from Politehnica Timişoara €600.000, half of the transfer fee. Marian Iancu
said that he didn't show any medical problems while he was playing for Politehnica. The medical staff announced that Emeghara has a larger heart than an average human, but it is said that most African football players have larger hearts and that Ifeanyi will still be playing football at the highest level.
Emeghara debuted for Steaua Bucureşti against Rapid Bucureşti, match ended undecided 0–0. He previously played for Steaua in a friendly against Charleroi
which also ended with a draw (1–1). Emeghara didn't play any match since 8 March 2008, because of a knee injury. In October 2009 has returned to training and on 11 October played his first game after injury in the friendly match with FC Snagov
, Steaua won 3–0.
He evolved first in an official game after more than a year and a half absence on 13 December 2009 against Internaţional
, coming on in the 46th minute to replace Eugen Baciu
.
On July his contract with Steaua expires. On September 2011 signed again with Steaua.
on 7 November 2007, the Spanish team has shown interest in Emeghara. He was one of the best players from Steaua Bucureşti in both home and away games against Sevilla. Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, Sevilla's scouter, will be further monitoring Emeghara. The manager of Olympique Lyonnais
, Alain Perrin, said that the team needs another left-back since he's not pleased by Fabio Grosso
's performances. Aurel Damian, Emeghara's manager said that he won't present any offers to Gigi Becali
until the winter transfer market. At the end of 2007, Emeghara had 15 official games for Steaua. According to this statistic made by Steaua supporters he was one of the best players of the season, with an average of 7.89/10.
before the 2006 African Cup of Nations
as a prospective player for the famed tournament, but decided not to take part in these preparations, as he had just signed for Poli and didn't want to miss the pre-season training with this new team.
In August 2006 Victor Piturca
wanted Emeghara to play for the Romanian national team
as a left back. Emeghara refused the offer because he wanted to play for the Nigerian national football team. He was called again in November 2007 to the Nigerian national football team by manager Berti Vogts
. He will be replacing Taye Taiwo from Olympic Marseille who due to his average performance didn't take part of the manager's plans against Australia and Switzerland
. Emeghara made his international debut on 17 November 2007 for Nigeria in the loss against Australia with 0–1. He was a member of Nigeria's 23-man squad to the 2008 African Cup of Nations
.
Steaua Bucureşti
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
) is a Nigeria
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 football player. "Ifeanyi" is a nickname for the Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
name "Ifeanyichukwu" (meaning "Nothing is impossible with God").
A young and versatile defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, Emeghara can be seen on both sides of the pitch and is often noted for his good technique.
Amongst his childhood friends and teammates are the likes of Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for Rubin Kazan and the Nigeria national team. He is known for his speed on the ball....
and Stephen Makinwa
Stephen Makinwa
Stephen Ayodele Makinwa is a Nigerian football striker, who is currently playing for Lazio. Makinwa also plays for the Nigerian national team...
.
Partizan
Emeghara arrived in SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in summer 2003 and started playing for the FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
satellite club FK Teleoptik
FK Teleoptik
Fudbalski klub Teleoptik is a professional football club based in Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia. The club currently playing in the Serbian First League....
, where he played for one season. After convincing there, he started playing for Partizan in the Serbia and Montenegro League where he played for 2 years gaining 36 appearances. With Partizan, he won one national championship in 2004–05 and made the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
where the club lost out to the eventual champions, CSKA Moscow.
Politehnica Timişoara
Emeghara signed for $650.000 with FCU Politehnica Timişoara in 2006 a contract for 4 years. He was under the observation of many important clubs, such as AJ AuxerreAJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
and CSKA Moscow, but he eventually chose Politehnica Timişoara.
In January 2007, he suffered a surgery on his left forearm, after he broke his arm while he was in Nigeria
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...
on holiday. The operation was a success he went back to training in the next 3 weeks.
Emeghara had a salary of 135.000 euros per year. He was the second most used player in the 2006–07 season in Liga I playing 42 matches and a total of 2.491 minutes, after Jonathan McKain
Jonathan McKain
Jonathan McKain is an Australian football player, who currently plays for Adelaide United in Hyundai A-League. He is generally a defender but can also play in midfield.-Club career:...
with 2.610 minutes.
Steaua Bucureşti
On 25 July 2007, Emeghara signed with Steaua Bucureşti for 4 years. The transfer fee was of €1.2 million and he was given a salary of €150.000 per season plus bonuses if Steaua Bucureşti will qualify in the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage. While at Steaua, Emeghara had some cardiac problems. Steaua's medical staff discovered a heart problem and the player had stop all physical efforts.
Gigi Becali
Gigi Becali
George Becali is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.He has been a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.-Biography:...
, Steaua Bucureşti's owner, said that if Emeghara will end his football career because of this medical issue he will get from Politehnica Timişoara €600.000, half of the transfer fee. Marian Iancu
Marian Iancu
Marian Alexandru Iancu is a Romanian businessman, president of the UK based Oil-company Balkan Petroleum, , as well as president of Romanian football club FC Politehnica Timişoara.-References:...
said that he didn't show any medical problems while he was playing for Politehnica. The medical staff announced that Emeghara has a larger heart than an average human, but it is said that most African football players have larger hearts and that Ifeanyi will still be playing football at the highest level.
Emeghara debuted for Steaua Bucureşti against Rapid Bucureşti, match ended undecided 0–0. He previously played for Steaua in a friendly against Charleroi
R. Charleroi S.C.
Sporting du Pays de Charleroi is a Belgian football club based in the city of Charleroi, in the province of Hainaut. Charleroi plays in the Belgian Pro League and their current spell at the highest level in Belgian football has started in the 1985–86 season...
which also ended with a draw (1–1). Emeghara didn't play any match since 8 March 2008, because of a knee injury. In October 2009 has returned to training and on 11 October played his first game after injury in the friendly match with FC Snagov
FC Snagov
FC Snagov is a Romanian football club located in Snagov. The club is currently playing in the second division.The club was founded in 2002 and their second division debut was in the 2006-07 season...
, Steaua won 3–0.
He evolved first in an official game after more than a year and a half absence on 13 December 2009 against Internaţional
FC International Curtea de Arges
Internaţional Curtea de Argeş was a Romanian professional football club from Curtea de Argeş, Argeş County, founded in 2010 and dissolved in 2011.- History :...
, coming on in the 46th minute to replace Eugen Baciu
Eugen Baciu
Eugen Cătălin Baciu is a Romanian football player.-Club career:*12 May 2001: Made his Divizia A debut in the FCM Bacău 2–0 defeat of Gloria Bistriţa....
.
On July his contract with Steaua expires. On September 2011 signed again with Steaua.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | |||
| Partizan FK Partizan Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978... |
04–05 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 05–06 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Total | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 56 | 0 | ||
| Politehnica Timişoara | 05–06 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 06–07 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Total | 42 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 | ||
| Steaua Bucureşti | 07–08 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 08–09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 09–10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 10–11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 107 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 142 | 0 | ||
Transfer offers
After his match against SevillaSevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
on 7 November 2007, the Spanish team has shown interest in Emeghara. He was one of the best players from Steaua Bucureşti in both home and away games against Sevilla. Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, Sevilla's scouter, will be further monitoring Emeghara. The manager of Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
, Alain Perrin, said that the team needs another left-back since he's not pleased by Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. Grosso is primarily a left wingback, but can also play as left back. He is also a free kick, penalty kick and corner kick specialist...
's performances. Aurel Damian, Emeghara's manager said that he won't present any offers to Gigi Becali
Gigi Becali
George Becali is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.He has been a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.-Biography:...
until the winter transfer market. At the end of 2007, Emeghara had 15 official games for Steaua. According to this statistic made by Steaua supporters he was one of the best players of the season, with an average of 7.89/10.
International career
Emeghara was called up to the Nigerian national teamNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
before the 2006 African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
as a prospective player for the famed tournament, but decided not to take part in these preparations, as he had just signed for Poli and didn't want to miss the pre-season training with this new team.
In August 2006 Victor Piturca
Victor Piturca
Victor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games...
wanted Emeghara to play for the Romanian national team
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
as a left back. Emeghara refused the offer because he wanted to play for the Nigerian national football team. He was called again in November 2007 to the Nigerian national football team by manager Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
. He will be replacing Taye Taiwo from Olympic Marseille who due to his average performance didn't take part of the manager's plans against Australia and Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. Emeghara made his international debut on 17 November 2007 for Nigeria in the loss against Australia with 0–1. He was a member of Nigeria's 23-man squad to the 2008 African Cup of Nations
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football . The tournament was staged at...
.
Honours
Partizan- Serbia and Montenegro League: 2004–05
Steaua Bucureşti
- Liga ILiga ILiga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
: Runner-up 2007–08