Uche Okafor
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Uchenna Kizito Okafor | ||
| Date of birth | 8 August 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Owerri, Nigeria | ||
| Date of death | 6 January 2011 (aged 43) | ||
| Place of death | Little Elm, Texas, United States | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1988 | ACB Lagos | ? | (?) |
| 1988–1991 | KRC Mechelen | ? | (?) |
| 1991–1992 | UR Namur | ? | (?) |
| 1992–1993 | Le Touquet AC | ? | (?) |
| 1993–1994 | Hannover 96 | 4 | (0) |
| 1994 | UD Leiria | 0 | (0) |
| 1995 | Ironi Ashdod | 13 | (0) |
| 1995–1996 | S.C. Farense | 0 | (0) |
| 1996–2000 | Kansas City Wizards | 109 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1988–1998 | Nigeria | 34 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 May 2007. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Uchenna Kizito Okafor, often shortened to Uche Okafor (8 August 1967 – 6 January 2011[1]) was a football defender who played 34 international matches for Nigeria.
Club career
Okafor's club career took him to many countries[2] before he settled in the USA. Okafor was drafted to Kansas City Wizards in the 9th round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft, and played there for five seasons before retiring after the 2000 season.
International career
Okafor played every match when Nigeria won the 1994 African Cup of Nations, but sustained an ankle injury shortly thereafter. He was part of the squad to the 1994 World Cup but did not get any playing time. He played 1 out of their 4 games in the 1998 World Cup, though, as well as at the 1988 Olympics.
Coaching
Okafor coached for the Associated Soccer Group,[3] a member of the North Texas Soccer Association. He was head coach for the 91 Gold Central boys team and the 93 HP Central boys team who play in the Plano Premier Select Soccer league.
Other notable professional footballers who coach for ASG are Dave Dir, Zequinha, Óscar Pareja, and Bobby Rhine.
Media work
Okafor was a regular pundit on African football on ESPN's coverage and their PressPass programme.
Death
Okafor's body was discovered Thursday afternoon by his wife shortly after he returned home from dropping off his daughter in school in their house in Little Elm, a town about 30 miles northwest of Dallas. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said Friday that he hanged himself in an upstairs hallway. Okafor's family has rejected the suicide ruling of the Little Elm Police Department, suspecting foul play.[4]
Kent Babb, reporter for the Kansas City Star, published and in-depth analysis of Uche's death on May 19, 2012. [5]
References
External references
- Nigerian Players
- Uche Okafor at National-Football-Teams.com
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