Benjamin Onwuachi

Benjamin Onwuachi
Personal information
Date of birth9 April 1984
Place of birthLagos, Nigeria
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current team
Panserraikos
Youth career
2000–2003Reggiana
2003–2004Juventus
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2003–2005Juventus1(1)
2004–2005→ Salernitana (loan)16(4)
2005–2006Standard Liège0(0)
2006–2008Ionikos41(7)
2007KF Tirana (loan)0(0)
2008–2009→ APOEL (loan)24(8)
2009–2011AO Kavala55(20)
2011AEL Limassol10(0)
2012Panetolikos9(0)
2012–2013Skoda Xanthi21(6)
2013–2014Iraklis21(3)
2014Oțelul Galați2(0)
2014Salam Zgharta0(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 July 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).

Benjamin Onwuachi (born 9 April 1984 in Lagos) is a Nigerian footballer who last played as a striker for Lebanese side Salam Zgharta. Onwuachi started his career in the youth ranks of Reggiana. He continued in the academies of Juventus where he didn't managed to establish himself in the first team. He then moved to Belgium to play for Standard Liège. After a season in Belgium he moved to Greece in 2006, where he played for several clubs having also spells in Albania and Cyprus.

Club career

He began his career in Reggiana academies in Italy in 2002. In 2003 he played only a game scoring one goal for Juventus F.C. (he was purchased by Juventus for €420,000[1]). In the 2004–2005 season he went on loan to Salernitana where he played 18 games and scored 6 goals. The 2005–06 season he signed a 2-year deal with Belgian side Standard Liège but failed to play a single match.

Ionikos

The 2006–07 season, he went to Greece and joined the team at Nikaia of Ionikos. He noted 42 participations and had 7 goals. That same season Ionikos fell in the Second National Division of Greece, Beta Ethniki 2007-08, and he decided to leave the club. The administration of Ionikos did not agree with this, but unfortunately they did not manage to change his decision.

In October 2007, he returned to Nikaia, at Ionikos, at a point where the club campaigned for a promotion in the Super League Greece. That year he played in 27 games and had 14 goals, so that he ranked 3rd in the scorerlist of the division! Unfortunately the club did not achieve promotion to the first division. In the match against PAS Giannena which Ionikos won 4–1, Onwuachi scored 2 goals.

APOEL

The next year the budget of Ionikos fell and in July 2008, Onwuachi went on loan to APOEL. For APOEL he played in 23 games in the championship and scored 8 goals helping the team to win the Cypriot First Division and the Super Cup of season 2008–09. In May 2009, the player and the chairman of APOEL, Phivos Erotokritou, did not agree on signing a new contract and Onwuachi returned to Greece to Ionikos.

Kavala

On 20 August 2009, he signed a 4-years contract with the newly promoted in Super League Greece team of AO Kavala. His first season with his new team, was excellent because he became 4th in top scorers of Super League Greece, scoring 10 goals. In August 2011, FIFA canceled his contract with the club after they failed to pay his salary for two consecutive months.[2]

AEL Limassol

On 25 August 2011, he signed with AEL Limassol in Cyprus,[3] but he was released from the club in January 2012.

Panetolikos

On 26 January 2012, he returned to Greece and signed a 6-month contract with Panetolikos F.C..[4] On 26 April 2012, after the conclusion of the season, Onwuachi and Panetolikos parted their ways, as he couldn't fit into the team.[5][6]

Skoda Xanthi

On 6 June 2012, Onwuachi signed a contract with Skoda Xanthi.[6]

Iraklis 1908

On 19 July 2013, Onwuachi signed a contract with Iraklis.[7] He made his league debut for Iraklis on 30 September 2013 in an away loss against Kavala.[8] He scored his first goal for the club on 13 January 2013, in an away win against Ethnikos Gazoros.[9]

Statistics

Last updated 1 June 2012

Season Club Competition Apps Goals
2003/04JuventusItaly Serie A00
2004/05SalernitanaItaly Serie B154
2005/06Standard LiègeBelgium Jupiler League00
2005/06IonikosGreece Greek Super League133
2006/07IonikosGreece Greek Super League273
2007/08IonikosGreece Beta Ethniki?14
2008/09APOELCyprus Cypriot First Division248
2009/10AO KavalaGreece Greek Super League2810
2010/11AO KavalaGreece Greek Super League2710
2011AEL LimassolCyprus Cypriot First Division100
2012PanetolikosGreece Greek Super League90
2012/13Skoda XanthiGreece Greek Super League226
2013/14IraklisGreece Greek Football League213

Honours

Cyprus APOEL
2008–09
2008

References

  1. "Reports and Financial Statements at 30 June 2005" (PDF). Juventus FC. 25 October 2005. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  2. "Onwuachi cleared to quit Kavala". BBC News.
  3. "AEL left the best for the end". Sigma Live. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  4. http://www.panetolikos.gr/archives/news/item/2406-ypegrapse-onwuathsi.html
  5. "Camara and Onwuachi leave Panetolikos". panetolikos.gr. 26 April 2012.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Απέκτησε Ονουάτσι η Ξάνθη! (Xanthi got Onwuachi!)" (in Greek). SentraGoal. 6 June 2012.
  7. "Στον ΗΡΑΚΛΗ ο Benjamin Onwuachi" (in Greek). Iraklis FC official website. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  8. Τραγικός αμυντικά Ηρακλής απογοήτευσε στην Καβάλα (in Greek). BleArena.gr. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  9. Τρίτη θέση και η αντεπίθεση συνεχίζεται... (in Greek). BleArena.gr. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.