Innocent Emeghara

Innocent Nkasiobi Emeghara (born 27 May 1989) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a striker for the swiss club FC Winterthur.

Innocent Emeghara
Emeghara with Switzerland in 2012
Personal information
Full name Innocent Nkasiobi Emeghara
Date of birth (1989-05-27) 27 May 1989
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
2002–2003 FC Töss
2003–2006 Winterthur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2009 Zürich II 47 (16)
2009–2010 Winterthur 28 (17)
2010–2011 Grasshoppers 40 (14)
2011–2013 Lorient 28 (5)
2013–2014 Siena 17 (7)
2013–2014 → Livorno (loan) 30 (4)
2014–2015 Qarabağ 8 (5)
2015–2016 San Jose Earthquakes 13 (1)
2017–2018 Ermis 28 (9)
2018–2019 Qarabağ 11 (5)
2019–2020 Fatih Karagümrük 31 (7)
2020– FC Winterthur
National team‡
2011 Switzerland U21 8 (5)
2012 Switzerland Olympic 4 (1)
2011–2013 Switzerland 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07 October 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 March 2013

Club career

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Emeghara moved to Switzerland at the age of 13 (two years after his mother), and started playing football as a means to "cope with the language barrier and cold temperatures".[1] He began his senior career with FC Zürich's reserves aged only 17, going on to represent FC Winterthur and Grasshopper Club Zürich; on 20 August 2011, whilst at the service of the latter, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–3 away win against Servette FC, which meant he led the Super League's scoring charts at five in only six games.[2]

On 31 August 2011, Emeghara was sold to FC Lorient in France. He made his debut in Ligue 1 on 10 September, coming on as a substitute for Mathias Autret in a 1–1 draw at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and netting the equalizer two minutes from time.[3] He scored four more league goals until the end of his first season, adding two in the Coupe de la Ligue.

In January 2013, Emeghara moved teams and countries again, joining Italian side A.C. Siena.[4] He scored four goals in as many matches to kickstart his Serie A career, including a brace in a 3–0 home success over S.S. Lazio on 18 February;[5] his team, however, finally suffered relegation after ranking second from bottom.

For the 2013–14 campaign, Emeghara continued in Italy's top flight, being loaned to A.S. Livorno Calcio.[6][7] On 31 March 2014, he contributed with one goal to help the hosts come from behind to tie it 2–2 with Inter Milan.[8]

In July 2014, Emeghara became a free agent after Siena went into liquidation.[9] On 11 October he signed a three-year contract with Azerbaijan Premier League side FK Qarabağ,[10] but left on 5 January of the following year and began training with Winterthur,[11] before going on trial with HSV Hamburg the following week.[12]

Late into January 2015, Emeghara joined the San Jose Earthquakes.[13] He made his debut in the Major League Soccer on 8 March, playing one minute in a 0–1 away loss against FC Dallas.[14]

On 24 July 2018, Emeghara returned to Qarabağ on a two-year deal from Ermis Aradippou FC,[15] but was released early from his contract by mutual consent on 13 May 2019.[16]

In the beginning of october 2020, after he trained already three weeks with the club, Emeghara signed a two-year-contract at his home-based club FC Winterthur, where he launched his career back in 2010.[17]

International career

Emeghara opted to represent Switzerland internationally, and he made his debut on 4 June 2011 by playing one minute in a 2–2 draw in England for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers.[18]

Still in that year, he helped the under-21 team finish second at the 2011 UEFA European Championship, scoring in the 2–0 group stage win against Iceland.[19] He represented the country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, netting in the 1–2 group phase defeat by South Korea.[20]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 4 October 2018[21][22][23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zürich II 2006–07 Swiss 1. Liga 62–––62
2007–08 155–––155
2008–09 269–––269
Total 4716------4716
Winterthur 2009–10 Swiss Challenge League 281735–––3122
Grasshoppers 2010–11 Swiss Super League 33941–20–3910
2011–12 7500–––75
Total 401441--20--4615
Lorient 2011–12 Ligue 1 2751032––317
2012–13 100000––10
Total 2851032----327
Siena 2012–13 Serie A 17700–––177
2013–14 Serie B 0000–––00
Total 17700------177
Livorno (loan) 2013–14 Serie A 30400–––304
Qarabağ 2014–15 Azerbaijan Premier League 7411–000085
San Jose Earthquakes 2015 Major League Soccer 7100–––71
2016 6010–––70
Total 13110------141
Ermis 2017–18 Cypriot First Division 28920–––309
Qarabağ 2018–19 Azerbaijan Premier League 5400–60–114
Career total 2438112732800026690

International
As of 23 March 2013[24]
Switzerland
YearAppsGoals
201150
201230
201310
Total90

References
  1. "Innocent Emeghara, coupable d'être très doué" [Innocent Emeghara, guilty of being very gifted]. Tribune de Genève (in French). 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  2. "Xamax marque enfin et bat Zurich. Servette perd" [Xamax score at last and beat Zurich. Servette lose] (in French). Radio Télévision Suisse. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  3. "Sochaux privé de réussite" [Sochaux deprived of success]. Le Figaro (in French). 10 September 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  4. "Agra ed Emeghara in bianconero, depositati i contratti" [Agra and Emeghara in white-and-blue, contracts deposited] (in Italian). A.C. Siena. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  5. "Emeghara, "serial buteur" face à la Lazio" [Emeghara, "serial scorer" against Lazio] (in French). Radio Télévision Suisse. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  6. "Emeghara ceduto al Livorno" [Emeghara loaned to Livorno] (in Italian). A.C. Siena. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  7. "Official: Livorno sign Emeghara". Football Italia. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  8. "Inter let lead slip in Livorno". ESPN FC. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  9. "West Ham close to signing out-of-contract Swiss international". Brentwood Gazette. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  10. "Emeghara rəsmən 'Qarabağ'da" [Emeghara joins Qarabağ] (in Azerbaijani). FK Qarabağ. 11 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  11. "Medienberichte & Klubnews zur Rückrunde" [Media reports and club news for second part of season] (in German). FC Winterthur. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  12. "Innocent Emeghara on trial at Hamburg". Vavel. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  13. "Quakes sign Innocent Emeghara as third designated player". San Jose Earthquakes. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  14. "San Jose Earthquakes vs. FC Dallas match report: Blas Perez stoppage time goal gives Hoops 1–0 win". SB Nation. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  15. ""QARABAĞ"IMIZDAN NÖVBƏTİ TRANSFER" [Last transfer from Qarabağ] (in Azerbaijani). Qarabağ FK. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  16. "Üç futbolçu ilə yollar ayrıldı". qarabagh.com/ (in Azerbaijani). Qarabağ fk. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  17. "FCW verpflichtet Innocent Emeghara" (in German). FC Winterthur. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  18. "England fight back to deny Switzerland". UEFA. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  19. "Swiss surge continues with defeat of Iceland". UEFA. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  20. "Innocent Emeghara". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  21. "I.Emeghara". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  22. "Innocent Emeghara". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  23. "Innocent EMEGHARA" (in French). Ligue 1. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  24. "Innocent Emeghara". European Football. Retrieved 13 October 2015.


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