Emmanuel Emenike facts for kids
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Emenike with Fenerbahçe in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 May 1987 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Otuocha, Aguleri, Nigeria | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Nigeria | 37 | (9) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike (born on May 10, 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Delta Force
Emmanuel Emenike began his football journey at Delta Force. Life was tough for him then. He often walked for an hour and a half to get to training and back home. The club also had money problems, so he didn't always get paid on time.
First Paycheck in South Africa
Emenike earned his first salary when he moved to South Africa. In January 2008, he joined Mpumalanga Black Aces, a team in the South African National First Division. He played his first game on February 17, 2008, against Dynamos F.C.. He even scored a goal in that first match, but his team lost 4–2. He was also part of the Black Aces team that lost to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup final.
Moving to Cape Town
In May 2008, Emenike moved to another First Division team, Cape Town.
Success with Karabükspor
In 2009, Emenike signed a one-year loan deal with Karabükspor in Turkey. He played his first game for them on August 23, 2009, in a 3–3 draw against Samsunspor. He scored his first goal on October 11 against Kartal.
Emenike scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in Turkey during a 6–1 win over Mersin İdmanyurdu. He scored another hat-trick on February 14, 2010, in a 4–2 win against Kayseri Erciyesspor. He ended up scoring 16 goals in the 1.Lig, helping his club win the title and get promoted to the top league.
After the 2009–10 season, Emenike was named the 1.Lig Best Foreign Player. His contract was also extended for three more years. He continued to score goals, getting 14 in his first season in the Süper Lig, Turkey's top football league.
Joining Fenerbahçe (First Time)
On May 25, 2011, Emenike joined Fenerbahçe, a big club in Turkey. The transfer fee was around 9 million euros.
Playing for Spartak Moscow
On July 28, 2011, Emenike was sold to Spartak Moscow for €10 million. This happened because of some false accusations involving Fenerbahçe, which were later proven wrong by the court. Emenike never actually played a competitive match for Fenerbahçe during his first time there.
He made his debut for Spartak Moscow on August 14, 2011. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw against CSKA Moscow. On October 29, 2011, Emenike scored his first hat-trick for Spartak in a 3–0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow. He scored two more goals in the next game against Lokomotiv.
In the 2011–12 season, Emenike scored 13 goals, making him the second-highest scorer for his team. After the season, he signed a new four-year contract.
In the 2012–13 season, Emenike scored the fastest goal in the history of the Russian League. He scored within 10 seconds of the game starting in a 2–1 win. He also scored against his old club Fenerbahçe in a Champions League qualifying match. Later, he scored two goals in a Champions League group stage match against Celtic. However, injuries reduced his playing time in the second half of that season.
Returning to Fenerbahçe
In August 2013, Emenike moved back to Turkey and rejoined Fenerbahçe. He was very happy to return, saying it had always been his dream to play for them and win championships. His first match back ended in a 3–2 loss. He scored his first goal for Fenerbahçe in October 2013, securing a last-minute win. A week later, he scored two more goals in a 3–1 win.
Loan to Al Ain
On July 11, 2015, Emenike went on a season-long loan to Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. After six months, his loan ended, and he returned to Fenerbahçe in January 2016.
Loan to West Ham United
On January 31, 2016, Emenike joined West Ham United in England on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut on February 6. On February 21, he scored two goals in a 5–1 win against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup. These were his only goals for the club.
Time with Olympiacos
On July 6, 2017, Emenike joined Greek champions Olympiacos. He signed a two-year deal for €3.8 million. On July 25, 2017, he scored a last-minute goal in his first game for the club, helping Olympiacos win 3–1 in a Champions League qualifying match. On September 19, 2017, Emenike scored two goals, leading Olympiacos to a 2–1 win in a Greek Cup match.
In November 2017, Emenike trained alone for a while. He also reported feeling unsafe at his home in Greece, so Olympiacos hired extra security for him. On July 17, 2018, he left Olympiacos after agreeing to end his contract.
Loan to Las Palmas
On the last day of the winter transfer window in 2018, Emenike went on loan from Olympiacos to Las Palmas in Spain. However, soon after joining, the club announced that he was being treated for a knee problem, and it was unclear when he would return to play.
Short Spell at Westerlo
On August 27, 2019, Emenike started trials with Westerlo, a team in the Belgian second division. He signed with the club on September 16, 2019, making Westerlo his 10th professional club. However, on November 14, 2019, Westerlo released Emenike after he played only five games. The club stated he "not bringing the level that both parties had intended."
International Career
Emenike was called to play for the Nigeria national team for the first time in a friendly match against Sierra Leone. He was chosen for Nigeria's 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
On January 21, 2013, he scored in Nigeria's first match of the tournament, a 1–1 draw. He also scored the first goal in the quarter-final match against Côte d'Ivoire, which Nigeria won 2–1. On February 3, Emenike scored a fantastic goal from 30 yards out, helping Nigeria win 2–1 against Côte d'Ivoire in the African Cup of Nations.
In 2013, Emenike was part of the Nigerian team that won the Africa Cup of Nations. This was Nigeria's first win in this tournament since 1994. His four goals were very important for Nigeria's success. He was also named to the "African Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament." He won the "Pepsi Tournament Top Scorer" award with four goals, sharing it with Ghana's Wakaso Mubarak. He missed the final match due to a thigh injury.
In March 2013, Emenike was not included in the Nigerian squad for a World Cup qualifier because of a hamstring injury. He later played in the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Malawi in September 2013, scoring a goal in a 2–0 win. Three days later, he scored another goal in a friendly match against Burkina Faso, which Nigeria won 4–1.
On October 13, 2013, in the first leg of the final World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia, he scored two goals. These goals gave the Super Eagles a 2–1 lead for the second leg. On October 20, 2015, Emmanuel Emenike announced his retirement from international football.
Personal Life
Emmanuel Emenike married Iheoma Nnadi, who was a former "Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria" winner, in 2016. They welcomed their first child in August 2017 and their second child on March 13, 2020. Emenike is also the cousin of Daryl Dike, a footballer who plays for the US national team and West Bromwich Albion.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Karabükspor | 2009–10 | TFF First League | 28 | 16 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 28 | 16 | |||
| 2010–11 | Süper Lig | 23 | 14 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 23 | 14 | ||||
| Total | 51 | 30 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 51 | 30 | |||||
| Spartak Moscow | 2011–12 | Russian Premier League | 22 | 13 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 24 | 13 | ||
| 2012–13 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 23 | 8 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 42 | 21 | 1 | 0 | – | 8 | 3 | – | 51 | 24 | ||||
| Fenerbahçe | 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 28 | 12 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 12 | |
| 2014–15 | 27 | 4 | 7 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 5 | |||
| 2016–17 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 | 4 | – | 27 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 71 | 20 | 9 | 1 | – | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 93 | 25 | |||
| Al Ain (loan) | 2015–16 | UAE Pro League | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 15 | 7 | |
| West Ham United (loan) | 2015–16 | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 16 | 2 | ||
| Olympiacos | 2017–18 | Super League Greece | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 10 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 193 | 78 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 236 | 92 | ||
International
- Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Emenike goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 June 2011 | National Stadium, Abuja, Nigeria |  Argentina |
4–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 21 January 2013 | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, South Africa |  Burkina Faso |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3 | 25 January 2013 | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspuit, South Africa |  Zambia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 4 | 3 February 2013 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa |  Ivory Coast |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5 | 6 February 2013 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa |  Mali |
3–0 | 4–1 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 6 | 7 September 2013 | U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Nigeria |  Malawi |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 10 September 2013 | Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nigeria | Burkina Faso |
4–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 13 October 2013 | Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |  Ethiopia |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 2–1 |
Honours and Awards
Karabükspor
- TFF First League: 2009–10 (Champions)
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2013–14 (Champions)
- Turkish Super Cup: 2014 (Winners)
Nigeria
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2013 (Winners)
Individual Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot: 2013 (Top Scorer)
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2013 (Named in Best Team)
Orders
Member of the Order of the Niger
See also
In Spanish: Emmanuel Emenike para niños
