Obinna Nwobodo

Obinna Nwobodo (born 29 November 1996) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Turkish club Göztepe.

Obinna Nwobodo
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-11-29) 29 November 1996
Place of birth Enugu, Nigeria
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Göztepe
Number 60
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Enugu Rangers 44 (9)
2017–2020 Újpest 93 (10)
2020– Göztepe 10 (0)
National team‡
2015– Nigeria U-20 5 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 August 2016

Career

Early career

Nwobodo started his youth career with FC Inter Enugu while completing his high school education in Enugu State, Nigeria. He was scouted while representing his high school in a football competition and later played for FC Inter in the Nigeria Nationwide league (NNL) and State FA cup. During a preseason friendly between Enugu Rangers and FC Inter Enugu, he put in a man-of-the-match performance that troubled the six-time Nigerian league champions, who promptly negotiated a deal to have him play professionally for them during the 2015/2016 league season.[1]

Rangers FC (2015-2017)

After signing for Rangers International Football Club, Obinna was promoted straight into the first team within a matter of weeks. He was handed his preferred number 8 shirt and registered as a central midfielder. He was described by Rangers scouts as possessing an unusually-high tactical awareness, good passing range and the ability to pass and shoot with either of his feet. Rangers fans were excited to watch one of Nigeria's U-17 and U-20 players who is comfortable in the deep-lying playmaker role and has been compared to Xavi and Riquelme by followers of the youth teams due to his early successes. Moving straight into the starting eleven, Nwobodo started majority of the early season games, making his league debut in the season opener against Nigerian league giants Kano Pillars.[2] He remained in the starting eleven afterwards with his playmaking and distribution helping take Rangers to the very top of the NPFL 2015/2016 table.[3]

He was instrumental to their eventual title triumph, providing half of the assists for Chisom Egbuchulam's 16 goals and ending Rangers' 32-year wait for a 7th league title. On match-day 37 against Ikorodu United, he scored a goal of the season contender - having sighting the Ikorodu United goalkeeper off his line, he scored with a lofted chip shot from almost 40 yards out. The tally was later increased to two when Nwobodo again made a spectacular run down the right and then delivered a prefect cross for Chisom Egbuchulam to simply tap home. That man-of-the-match performance cemented his place in the team of the season. He contributed 7 goals and 10 assists to finish as arguably the best midfielder in the league in his first professional season in the top flight of Nigerian football.[4][5] In December 2016, Nwobodo was presented with the best player award for his performance during the 2015-2016 season by Enugu Rangers management.[6]

Újpest FC (2017-)

In the summer of 2017, Nwobodo signed a three-year contract with Újpest FC of Hungary. Promptly breaking into the starting eleven, he was handed the number 28 jersey.

Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Újpest
2017–18 303101––404
2018–19 2743231337
2019–20 32351––374
Total89101843111015
Career Total 89101843111015

Updated to games played as of 27 June 2020.

International career

Nwobodo represented Nigeria at the CAF U-20 Championship 2015. He scored a vital goal in the semi-final against Ghana as the Nigerian team went on to win the championship. He suffered an injury during the final which subsequently ruled him out of the U-20 World cup later in 2015.

Honours

Club

International
  • Nigeria U-20: 2015 African U-20 Championship Champions

Individual

References
  1. "Obinna Nwobodo Emmanuel Profile". Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016..
  2. "Rangers list Obinna Nwobodo for Pillars clash - Nigeria Premier League 2016 - Enugu Rangers". Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. "Clement, Nwobodo shoot Rangers back on top the NPFL". Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. "Brilliant Nwobodo lifts Rangers to title". Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. "Obinna Nwobodo The Nigerian Puppetmaster". Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  6. Isiguzo, Christopher (20 December 2016). "Nigeria: Ugwuanyi Showers Champions Rangers With N41.5 Million, Land". This Day (Lagos). Retrieved 5 January 2017.
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