Emmanuel Emenike facts for kids
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Emenike with Fenerbahçe in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 May 1987 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Otuocha, Aguleri, Nigeria | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Delta Force | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | MP Black Aces | 7 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Cape Town | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Karabükspor | 51 | (30) | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Fenerbahçe | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Spartak Moscow | 42 | (21) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Fenerbahçe | 69 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Al Ain (loan) | 11 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2016 | → West Ham United (loan) | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Olympiacos | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | → Las Palmas (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | Westerlo | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 214 | (82) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Nigeria | 37 | (9) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike (born on May 10, 1987) is a former professional footballer from Nigeria. He played as a striker, which means he was mainly responsible for scoring goals.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out: Delta Force and South Africa
Emmanuel Emenike began his football journey with a team called Delta Force. Life was tough back then. He often walked for an hour and a half to get to practice and back home. The team also didn't always have money, so he wasn't paid regularly.
His luck changed when he moved to South Africa. In January 2008, he joined Mpumalanga Black Aces. He scored his first goal in his very first game for them! After that, in May 2008, he moved to another team, Cape Town.
Success in Turkey with Karabükspor
In 2009, Emenike went to Turkey and joined Karabükspor on a loan. He quickly became a star player. He scored his first goal in October and even scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) twice! He helped his team win the league title and get promoted to a higher division.
Because of his amazing performance, Emenike won the "Best Foreign Player" award for the 2009–10 season. His contract was extended, showing how much the club valued him. He continued to score many goals in the top Turkish league, the Süper Lig.
Moving to Fenerbahçe and Spartak Moscow
On May 25, 2011, Emenike joined Fenerbahçe, a big club in Turkey. However, he didn't play any official games for them at that time.
Soon after, in July 2011, he moved to Russia to play for Spartak Moscow. He made his debut in August 2011. He scored his first hat-trick for Spartak in October 2011. During his time there, he sometimes faced unfair treatment from fans. He was once fined for reacting to this treatment.
In the 2011–12 season, Emenike scored 13 goals, making him one of the top scorers for his team. He even scored the fastest goal in the history of the Russian League, just 10 seconds into a game! He also scored important goals in the UEFA Champions League, Europe's biggest club competition.
Returning to Fenerbahçe
In August 2013, Emenike made an exciting return to Fenerbahçe. He was very happy to be back, saying it had always been his dream to play for them and win championships. He scored his first goal in October 2013, helping his team win a game in the last minute.
Loan Spells
Emenike also played on loan for other clubs. In July 2015, he joined Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates for six months. Then, in January 2016, he moved to England to play for West Ham United until the end of the season. He scored two goals for West Ham in an FA Cup match.
Time in Greece and Belgium
In July 2017, Emenike joined Olympiacos, the champions of Greece. He scored a crucial last-minute goal in his first game for them in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. He also scored two goals in a Greek Cup match.
Later, in 2018, he had a loan spell with Las Palmas in Spain, but he faced a knee injury there. In 2019, he joined Westerlo in Belgium, which was his tenth professional club. He played five games for them before leaving the club.
International Career for Nigeria
Emenike was a key player for the Nigeria national team, often called the Super Eagles. He was first called up for a friendly match in 2011.
Africa Cup of Nations Champion
He was part of Nigeria's team for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored in Nigeria's first game and then scored important goals in the quarter-final and semi-final matches. His powerful free-kick helped Nigeria win against Côte d'Ivoire.
In 2013, Emenike helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations, their first win since 1994! He scored four goals in the tournament, which was very important for Nigeria's success. He was even named to the "Team of the Tournament" and won the "Pepsi Tournament Top Scorer" award.
He continued to play for Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers, scoring crucial goals that helped his country move closer to the World Cup. In October 2015, he announced his retirement from international football.
Personal Life
Emmanuel Emenike is married to Iheoma Nnadi, who was a former "Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria." They got married in 2016 and have two children, born in August 2017 and March 2020. He is also the cousin of American footballer Daryl Dike.
Career Statistics Summary
Throughout his career, Emmanuel Emenike played in 214 club matches and scored 82 goals. For the Nigerian national team, he played 37 games and scored 9 goals.
Honours and Awards
Emenike achieved several important wins and awards during his career:
Club Honours
- Karabükspor
- TFF First League: 2009–10 (This means his team won the second-highest league in Turkey)
- Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2013–14 (His team won the top league in Turkey)
- Turkish Super Cup: 2014 (His team won a special match between the league and cup winners)
International Honours
- Nigeria
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2013 (His country won the biggest football tournament in Africa)
Individual Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot: 2013 (He was the top scorer in the tournament)
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2013 (He was chosen as one of the best players in the tournament)
Special Recognition
- Member of the Order of the Niger (This is an important award given by the Nigerian government)
Images for kids
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Emenike with Fenerbahçe in 2014
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Emenike in a Spartak Moscow shirt, 2012
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Emenike playing for Fenerbahçe in 2013
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Emenike (right) playing for Nigeria against Iran at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Emmanuel Emenike para niños
