Emeka Ezeugo

Emeka Ezeugo
Personal information
Full nameEmeka Ezeugo
Date of birth8 August 1967
Place of birthAba, Nigeria
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Abia Warriors (head coach)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1988–1989Enugu Rangers
1989–1990Mohammedan SC
1990Pahang FA
1990–1992Lyngby Boldklub34(2)
1992Boldklubben Frem3(0)
1993–1994Aalborg BK20(4)
1994Budapest Honvéd FC4(0)
1994–1995Fremad Amager4(0)
1995–1997La Coruna B?(?)
1997–1998Churchill Brothers SC?(?)
1998Hershey Wildcats4(0)
1998–1999Porthmadog F.C.?(?)
1999Connecticut Wolves16(1)
2000Deportivo Wanka?(?)
2001Estudiantes de Medicina19(3)
National team
1988Nigeria3(0)
1992–1994Nigeria11(0)
Teams managed
2002BMCC Athletics
2003–2005Deportivo Municipal
2005–2008City Tech
2008Churchill Brothers SC
2013–Abia Warriors
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 May 2007.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 July 2006

Emeka Ezeugo (born 16 December 1965 in Aba) is a retired Nigerian football defender and midfielder and current coach.

Career

The Nigerian who has played professionally in five continents most famously for Connecticut Wolves (A-League in United States), East Bengal, Kolkata, India, Peru and Dhaka Mohammedan during a successful 15-year playing career. At his time in Dhaka Mohammedan teams from Germany showed interest in him but he stayed in Dhaka because of his immense popularity.

The Nigerian starred for Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal towards the end of the 80’s. He then moved to the Danish League with middle of the table club Lyngby BK and really prospered, so much so that he made it to the Nigerian national side for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Ezeugo is the example Sunil Chhetri should really try to emulate. Both players have been stars for Indian clubs and are more closely matched in terms of talent.[1] His team is reported to have improved from worst (5th place) in 1999 to first (CUNYAC Champions) in 2000, he went to Peru to play (Peruvian Professional League) in 2001.

International

He first played for Nigeria at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.[2] Nicknamed "Emmy", he obtained 11 caps for the national team between 1992 and 1994, and was a member of the team that competed at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[3]

Coaching career

The Nigerian holds a USSF coaching license and a KNVB Netherlands international license. Ezeugo has an envious coaching record over the past seven years, as he successfully completed his transition from player to coach that included a stint as the head coach at CoT NYs Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2002,. In 2003 coached than Deportivo Municipal, Lima for two seasons before coming back to the United States, on 15 August 2005 was named as the new men’s soccer coach at New York City College of Technology,[4] here was between 2008.

Ezeuga spent summers 2004-2006 coaching at Camp Chateaugay, a summer camp located in New York's Adirondack Mountains for kids ages 7 to 15.

On 19 April 2008 turned back to India and signed a contract as Head Coach by his former club Churchill Brothers SC[5] on 5 September 2008 was released from his contract.[6]

He was then the chief coach of Heartland, a position he assumed less than a month ago.

On 31 October 2013, he was named the head coach of the newly promoted Nigeria Premier League team Abia Warriors.[7]

Private life

Emeka's brother Valentine Ezuego, a former footballer to have plied his trade in India, recommended the former Nigerian World Cupper to Churchill Bros patron Churchill Alemao.

Conversion

In February, 2012 while he was coach of Mohammedan Sporting Club of Bangladesh he converted to Islam.[8]

References

  1. "Emeka Ezeugo Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at". Sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  2. "CUNY Athletic Conference - Emeka Ezeugo Named Men's Soccer Coach at City Tech". Cunyathletics.com. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  3. "Sport / Football : Emeka is new coach". The Hindu. 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  4. "Churchill Brothers sack coach Emeka". Zeenews.com. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  5. Nigeria: Newly promoted Abia Warriors get new coach Starafrica.com 31 October 2013
  6. "New Age | Newspaper". Newagebd.com. 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2013-11-15.

External links