Junior Agogo facts for kids
Agogo playing for Ghana at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Manuel Agogo | ||
| Date of birth | 1 August 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Date of death | 22 August 2019 (aged 40) | ||
| Place of death | London, England | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1997 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–2000 | Sheffield Wednesday | 2 | (0) |
| 1999 | → Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1999 | → Chester City (loan) | 10 | (6) |
| 1999 | → Chesterfield (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | → Lincoln City (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2000 | Chicago Fire | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Colorado Rapids | 32 | (11) |
| 2001 | San Jose Earthquakes | 14 | (4) |
| 2002 | Queens Park Rangers | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Barnet | 39 | (19) |
| 2003–2006 | Bristol Rovers | 126 | (41) |
| 2006–2008 | Nottingham Forest | 64 | (20) |
| 2008–2009 | Zamalek SC | 15 | (4) |
| 2009–2011 | Apollon Limassol | 24 | (6) |
| 2011–2012 | Hibernian | 12 | (1) |
| Total | 350 | (113) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | England National Game XI | 3 | (0) |
| 2006–2009 | Ghana | 27 | (12) |
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Manuel "Junior" Agogo (1 August 1979 – 22 August 2019) was a professional footballer from Ghana. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals. Junior spent most of his childhood in the UK. He then moved back to Ghana for secondary school.
His football journey began at Sheffield Wednesday in 1995. Over the next 15 years, he played for 15 different clubs. Most of his career was spent in England, but he also played in the US, Egypt, Cyprus, and Scotland. His longest time at one club was with Bristol Rovers from 2003 to 2006. There, he played 140 games and scored over 40 goals.
Junior Agogo also played for the Ghana national team from 2006 to 2009. He scored three important goals in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. These goals helped Ghana finish in third place. In total, he scored 143 goals in his professional career. After retiring from football, he started his own fitness training business.
Contents
Junior Agogo's Club Career
Junior Agogo started his football career at Sheffield Wednesday in 1995. He was born in Accra, Ghana. He made only two league appearances for the team. During the 1999–2000 season, he played on loan for several clubs. These included Oldham Athletic, Chester City, Chesterfield, and Lincoln City. One of his goals for Chester in 1999 was even voted the best goal ever scored at the Deva Stadium.
Playing Football in the United States
In 2000, Agogo left Sheffield Wednesday and moved to the United States. He joined the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. After playing just one game for Chicago, he moved to the Colorado Rapids. He scored 11 goals in 32 games for the Rapids. In his first season, he scored 10 goals, becoming the team's top scorer.
In June 2001, he was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes. He played for them for the rest of the 2001 season. His team won the MLS Championship that year. However, he left the Earthquakes early in 2002.
Returning to English Football
In 2002, Agogo came back to England. He joined Queens Park Rangers. He played only two games there before moving to Football Conference team Barnet.
Success at Bristol Rovers
In the summer of 2003, Agogo joined Bristol Rovers. He played 13 games at the start of the 2003–04 season. An operation kept him out for the next nine games. He finished that season with six goals. In the 2004–05 season, Agogo scored 20 goals in 51 games. The next season, he scored 18 goals in 44 games. In total, he scored 41 goals in 126 matches for Bristol Rovers. This was the highest number of goals he scored for any club in his career.
Time with Nottingham Forest
In 2006, Junior Agogo joined Nottingham Forest. He signed a three-year contract with the club. He made his league debut in September 2006. He scored his first goal for Forest on 30 September 2006. He scored seven league goals that season.
On 22 September 2007, Agogo scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game). This happened in a 4–0 win against Gillingham. He also scored two impressive long-range goals that season. One was a 35-yard lob against Yeovil Town. The other was a 25-yard shot against Southend United. He finished as Forest's top scorer that season with 13 goals. His goals helped the club get promoted to the Championship.
Later Career Abroad
On 2 July 2008, Agogo moved to Zamalek SC in Egypt. He then joined Apollon Limassol in Cyprus on 5 August 2009. He signed a two-year contract with them.
In July 2011, Agogo signed a one-year contract with Scottish Premier League club Hibernian. He scored his first goal for Hibs on 24 September 2011. He left the club in January 2012 after playing 14 games.
Junior Agogo's International Career
In May 2006, Junior Agogo was called up to play for the Ghana national team. He played in a friendly match against OGC Nice. He was not chosen for Ghana's World Cup squad that year. However, he was later recalled for a tour in East Asia. During this tour, he played against Japan and South Korea.
On 14 November 2006, Agogo scored his first goal for Ghana. It was an equalizer in a friendly game against Australia. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. He also scored the third goal in Ghana's 4–1 win over Nigeria.
Playing in the Africa Cup of Nations
Agogo was part of the Ghana squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in the first game against Guinea. He helped Ghana win 2–1. He then scored in the next game against Namibia. He tapped in a cross from Michael Essien for the only goal of the game.
Agogo scored another goal, an 84th-minute winner, in the quarter-final against Nigeria. Ghana did not reach the final. They played for third place against Ivory Coast. Agogo scored again in Ghana's 4–2 victory. He was Ghana's top scorer in the competition, along with Sulley Muntari. He was also the fifth-highest scorer overall.
In total, Junior Agogo scored 12 goals in 27 matches for the Ghana national team. He played for them between 2006 and 2009.
Junior Agogo's Life Outside Football
Early Life and School
Junior Agogo was born on 1 August 1979 in Accra, Ghana. He was one of 11 children. He went to the Ridge Church School in Accra. Before finishing primary school, he moved to the UK with his family. He later returned to Ghana for three years. During this time, he attended St. Augustine's College. This was an all-boys boarding secondary school in Cape Coast.
Interestingly, he did not play football for his school team at St. Augustine's College. Instead, he took part in dancing competitions. Junior Agogo was also the nephew of Jerry Rawlings, who was a former President of Ghana.
Hobbies and Future Plans
Junior Agogo found his love for football after his family moved to the UK. He started playing with his siblings and friends. His father, Mr. Emmanuel Agogo, was a businessman. He encouraged Junior to focus on his studies rather than sports.
In an interview in 2008, Agogo shared his plans to open his own restaurant after his football career. However, he later decided to start his own fitness training business instead.
Later Life and Passing
On 29 January 2015, Junior Agogo was hospitalized after having a stroke. He found it difficult to speak after his stroke. He passed away in London on 22 August 2019, at the age of 40. On 20 September 2019, his funeral was held in London. His remains were cremated. There is a memorial for him at Golders Green Crematorium in London.
Football fans remembered Junior Agogo after his passing. On 26 August 2019, Nottingham Forest fans paid tribute to him. They applauded in the 23rd minute of their match against Derby County. Agogo wore the number 23 jersey when he helped Forest get promoted.
Bristol Rovers players also honored him. They wore number 9 shirts with Agogo's name during their warm-up on 24 August 2019. Before the game, both teams stood in the center of the field and clapped for a minute. The scoreboard showed "RIP Junior Agogo." Fans also sang and chanted his name.
Junior Agogo's Achievements
San Jose Earthquakes
- MLS Cup: 2001
Nottingham Forest
- League One second-place promotion: 2007–08
Apollon Limassol
- Cypriot Cup: 2009–10
Ghana National Team
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2008
Individual Awards
- Barnet Player of the Year: 2002–03
- Football Conference Team of the Year: 2002–03
Images for kids
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Agogo playing for Ghana at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations
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Agogo with Nottingham Forest in 2007
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Memorial in Golders Green Crematorium, London
See also
In Spanish: Junior Agogo para niños
