Sam Okoye
Encyclopedia
Sam Okoye was a Nigeria
n football goalkeeper
who represented Nigeria
during the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
.
, Sam Okoye was on a test period in 2005 with the Iran
ian Azadegan League club Sorkhpooshan Delvar Afzar F.C..
He was first choice goal-keeper for Rangers International of Enugu for several years and later Enyimba of Aba before leaving for Iran after trying unsuccessfully to play in Europe. Sam was a complete goal-keeper noted for his superb reflexes, agility and composure between the sticks. He can be described as Nigeria's Jose Chilavert though he was not controversial or a set-piece expert.
In spite of his abilities, Sam Okoye was not given a look-in by Nigeria's football coaches at international competitions after the U-20 World Youth Championship in 1999. However he was part of Nigeria's sqaud to Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where team handler Jo Bonfere picked Greg Etafia, who was much of a left-footer and visibly lacked ambidexterity, ahead of him much to the surprise of millions of Nigerian fans. Sam [in jersey number 18] is the only squad member who did not feature in Nigeria's 4 games at the Olympics.
Until his demise, Sam Okoye never made the squad to the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup.
and Sunny Okoye disclosed from the Iranian capital, Tehran that officials of Sorkh Poushan FC have agreed to foot the flight bills of the late footballer.
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 goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
who represented Nigeria
Nigeria 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...
during the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:...
.
Career
A native of LagosLagos
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...
, Sam Okoye was on a test period in 2005 with the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian Azadegan League club Sorkhpooshan Delvar Afzar F.C..
He was first choice goal-keeper for Rangers International of Enugu for several years and later Enyimba of Aba before leaving for Iran after trying unsuccessfully to play in Europe. Sam was a complete goal-keeper noted for his superb reflexes, agility and composure between the sticks. He can be described as Nigeria's Jose Chilavert though he was not controversial or a set-piece expert.
In spite of his abilities, Sam Okoye was not given a look-in by Nigeria's football coaches at international competitions after the U-20 World Youth Championship in 1999. However he was part of Nigeria's sqaud to Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where team handler Jo Bonfere picked Greg Etafia, who was much of a left-footer and visibly lacked ambidexterity, ahead of him much to the surprise of millions of Nigerian fans. Sam [in jersey number 18] is the only squad member who did not feature in Nigeria's 4 games at the Olympics.
Until his demise, Sam Okoye never made the squad to the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup.
Death
Four months after his 25th birthday, whilst living in Teheran, he reportedly died there after a few days' illness. The cause and circumstances of his death have not been adequately elucidated and Iranian authorities did not release his remains for repatriation and burial in Nigeria until May 2006. The duo of Daniel OlerumDaniel Olerum
Daniel "Erfan" Okechukwu Olerum is a Nigerian-born football striker. He currently plays for FC Aboomoslem in the Azadegan League.-Club career:...
and Sunny Okoye disclosed from the Iranian capital, Tehran that officials of Sorkh Poushan FC have agreed to foot the flight bills of the late footballer.