Victor Ikpeba

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Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Nigeria
Men's Football
Gold	1996 Atlanta	Team Competition

Victor Nosa Ikpeba (born June 12, 1973 in Benin City) is a football striker from Nigeria. He has played thirty international matches and scored three goals for Nigeria, and played at the Football World Cups in 1994 and 1998. He also helped win the 1994 African Nations Cup and the Olympic gold medal in 1996.

Ikpeba was discovered by Belgian club RFC Liégeois during the 1989 FIFA U-17 World Championship, and moved to play in Belgium together with teammate Sunday Oliseh. At the age of 20, after scoring 17 goals in 1992-93. Ikpeba was bought by French side AS Monaco then coached by Arsène Wenger, where he gradually became a success, albeit with a tough start. He showed outstanding form subsequent to the 1996 Olympics, scoring 13 league goals to help AS Monaco win the league title. His performances earned him the title African Footballer of the Year in 1997. Two successful seasons followed, but after moving to Borussia Dortmund in 1999 things went downhill. Ikpeba never settled in German football, and as of 2005 he plays in the United Arab Emirates.

Ikpeba now lives in Monaco with his three children. His wife Atinuke died in May 2000 at the tender age of 26, after losing her battle with breast cancer.

[edit] Playing career

• 1989 : ACB
• 1989-1990 : RFC Liégeois (79 matches/27 goals)
• 1993-1999 : Monaco (169/55)
• 1999-2001 : Borussia Dortmund (30/3)
• 2001-2002 : Real Betis (3/0)
• 2002-2003 : Borussia Dortmund (0/0)
• 2002-2003 : Al Ittihad Tripoli
• 2003-2004 : Charleroi (15/5)
• 2005 : Al-Sadd

[edit] External references

• Nigerian Players

Preceded by Daniel Amokachi

Belgian Ebony Shoe 1993

Succeeded by Daniel Amokachi

	Nigeria squad - 1994 World Cup
1 Rufai | 2 Eguavoen | 3 Iroha | 4 Keshi | 5 Okechukwu | 6 Nwanu | 7 George | 8 Oliha | 9 Yekini | 10 Okocha | 11 Amuneke | 12 Siasia | 13 Ezeugo | 14 Amokachi | 15 Oliseh | 16 Agu | 17 Ikpeba | 18 Ekoku | 19 Emenalo | 20 Okafor | 21 Adepoju | 22 Agbonavbare | Coach: Westerhof

	Nigeria squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 Rufai | 2 Oparaku | 3 Babayaro | 4 Kanu | 5 Okechukwu | 6 West | 7 George | 8 Adepoju | 9 Yekini | 10 Okocha | 11 Lawal | 12 W. Okpara | 13 Babangida | 14 Amokachi | 15 Oliseh | 16 Okafor | 17 Eguavoen | 18 Oruma | 19 Iroha | 20 Ikpeba | 21 G. Okpara | 22 Baruwa | Coach: Milutinović