Emmanuel Olisadebe facts for kids
Olisadebe with Henan Construction in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 December 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Warri, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1995 | Jasper United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1997 | Jasper United | 40 | (20) |
| 1997–2001 | Polonia Warsaw | 66 | (20) |
| 2001–2005 | Panathinaikos | 74 | (24) |
| 2005–2006 | Portsmouth | 2 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Skoda Xanthi | 9 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | APOP Kinyras Peyias | 17 | (6) |
| 2008–2010 | Henan Construction | 63 | (24) |
| 2011–2012 | Veria | 9 | (1) |
| Total | 276 | (95) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2004 | Poland | 25 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Emmanuel Olisadebe, born on December 22, 1978, is a former professional football player. He was a forward, known for scoring goals. Even though he was born in Nigeria, he played for the Polish national team. He scored 11 goals in 25 games for Poland between 2000 and 2004. He also played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In 2001, he was named the Polish Footballer of the Year.
Olisadebe started his football journey with Jasper United in Nigeria. Then, in 1997, he joined Polonia Warsaw, a top club in Poland. He quickly became a key player there. He helped Polonia Warsaw win their first league title in 50 years. They also won the League Cup and the Super Cup.
In 2000, Olisadebe became a Polish citizen. This meant he could play for the Poland national team. He was the first black player to represent Poland. After playing in Poland, he went on to play in Greece, Cyprus, England, and China before he stopped playing football.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Polonia Warsaw
Olisadebe joined Polonia Warsaw in the 1997–98 season. In his first year, he played in 13 league games. He helped the team win the championship title in the 1999–2000 season. This was their first title in 50 years! He scored 12 goals that season. He also helped them win the League Cup and the Super Cup.
Time with Panathinaikos
Olisadebe then moved to Panathinaikos in Greece. He scored 24 goals in 74 matches for them. In 2004, he helped the club win the league title. He scored all the winning goals in three of the last four games. He also won the Greek Cup that year, which meant they won both the league and the cup. During his time at Panathinaikos, he had an injury that needed surgery.
Short Spell at Portsmouth
On January 4, 2006, Olisadebe joined Portsmouth in England. He played for them until the end of the 2005–06 season. He made his first appearance ten days later. He played in two games for the club. His contract ended after four months. After that, he moved to Skoda Xanthi, where he played nine matches.
Playing in Cyprus and China
Next, he played for APOP Kinyras Peyia FC in Cyprus during the 2007–08 season. He played in 17 games and scored 6 goals. In 2008, he moved to China to play for Henan Construction. In his second game, he scored two goals. In his first season there, he scored 12 goals in 26 games.
In September, Olisadebe scored a goal for Henan. However, he injured his knee shortly after. Doctors first thought it was a serious injury that could end his career. But later, they found it was less severe. He only missed the rest of that season. He was nominated for the MVP award twice. The government of Henan province even gave him citizenship because of his great performance.
International Career
Even though he was born in Nigeria, Olisadebe became a Polish citizen in 2000. He was then chosen to play for the Poland national team. He scored eight goals in ten qualification matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This helped Poland reach the World Cup for the first time since 1986. He even received a vote for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2001.
Olisadebe scored Poland's first goal in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This was in a 3–1 win against the United States. However, Poland did not move past the first round. Olisadebe did not score any more goals for Poland after that. The coach who brought him into the team, Jerzy Engel, left after the World Cup. After that, Olisadebe played only a few more games for the national team.
Personal Life
Olisadebe supported a campaign called "Let’s Kick Racism out of the Stadiums." This campaign was organized by the Polish "Never Again" Association. He married a Polish woman named Beata Smolińska in 2001. They were married until 2017 and separated as friends. Olisadebe stopped playing football in 2012. He eventually moved back to his home country, Nigeria. He sometimes misses Poland, but he prefers living in Nigeria. He now works in housing construction there.
Honours
- Polonia Warsaw
- Ekstraklasa (Polish League Title): 1999–2000
- Polish Super Cup: 2000
- Polish League Cup: 1999–2000
- Panathinaikos
- Superleague Greece (Greek League Title): 2003–04
- Greek Cup: 2003–04
Individual Awards
- Polish Footballer of the Year: 2001
- Fourth-best Polish sportsman of the Year: 2002
- Nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year: 2002
See also
In Spanish: Emmanuel Olisadebe para niños
