Rabiu Afolabi facts for kids
Afolabi with RB Salzburg in 2011
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 April 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Osogbo, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997 | NEPA Lagos | ||
| 1997–2003 | Standard Liège | 89 | (2) |
| 2000–2001 | → Napoli (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Austria Wien | 60 | (1) |
| 2005–2009 | Sochaux | 123 | (5) |
| 2009–2011 | Red Bull Salzburg | 62 | (4) |
| 2011–2012 | Monaco | 14 | (1) |
| 2013 | SønderjyskE | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 353 | (13) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000–2010 | Nigeria | 20 | (1) |
|
|||
Rabiu Afolabi (born 18 April 1980) is a former professional footballer from Nigeria. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football.
Contents
Rabiu Afolabi's Club Journey
Rabiu Afolabi was born in Osogbo, Nigeria. He began his football journey at a club called NEPA Lagos in his home country.
Playing for Standard Liège and Napoli
.JPG)
Afolabi soon moved to Belgium to play for Standard Liège. He joined them after showing his skills at the 1997 Meridian Cup. He quickly loved the way football was played in Belgium.
In his first season (1997–98), he played in three matches. The team finished 9th that year. The next season, he played in 26 league games and scored one goal. Standard Liège finished 6th and also reached the final of the Belgian Cup. In the 1999–2000 season, he played 24 games and scored one goal, with the team finishing 5th.
After becoming a regular player at Standard Liège, Afolabi went to Italy. He joined Serie A team Napoli on a loan for the 2000–01 season. A loan means a player temporarily moves to another team. At Napoli, he found it hard to get into the main team, partly because of injuries. He mostly played for the club's reserve team.
After half a season in Italy, he went back to Standard Liège. In the 2001–02 season, he was named the best defender in Belgium. Standard Liège finished 5th that year. The next season was not as good, as Afolabi played in only 14 league matches.
Time with Austria Wien
In 2003, Afolabi moved to an Austrian club called Austria Wien. He joined them for free. He played his first game for the club in the Austrian Supercup, which Austria Wien won 2–1. Five days later, he played his first league game. In his first season, Afolabi played 33 matches in total.
In the 2004–05 season, Afolabi played in 27 league games. He scored one goal in a 3–0 win. Austria Wien finished third that season. The next season, Afolabi played in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup tournament. His team also won the Austrian Supercup again.
Playing for Sochaux
After the 2004–05 season, Afolabi joined Sochaux in France. He moved for about €2 million. In his first game in Ligue 1 on 13 August 2005, he came on as a substitute. Sochaux won the game, but Afolabi was sent off (meaning he had to leave the field) near the end of the match. He scored his first goal for the team on 6 May 2006.
Afolabi played for Sochaux for four seasons. During this time, he won one major title: the 2006–07 Coupe de France, which is a cup competition in France. He later said that winning this cup was the best moment of his career.
Joining Red Bull Salzburg
After leaving Sochaux in 2009, Afolabi went back to Austria. He signed a two-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg. He quickly became a regular player in the central defence. In February 2010, he scored an important goal against their rivals, which helped Red Bull Salzburg win the championship.
On 7 November 2010, he played his 100th game in the Austrian Bundesliga. After his second season in Salzburg, his contract was not renewed.
Moving to Monaco
After leaving Salzburg, Afolabi joined Monaco in France on 31 August 2011. He signed a two-year contract with the club. On 19 September 2011, he scored his first goal for Monaco in a 1–0 win. Over time, he played less and less for Monaco. After one year, he left the club by agreement, even though he still had a year left on his contract.
Time at SønderjyskE and Retirement
After eight months without a club, Afolabi tried out for a Danish club called SønderjyskE. On 13 March 2013, he signed with them for the rest of the 2012–13 season.
In his first game for SønderjyskE on 28 March 2013, Afolabi helped his team win 5–0. He was even named one of the best players in that game. After playing three matches, he got a rib injury. He was out for about three to four weeks. When he returned, he played five more games, helping the club avoid being moved down to a lower league. At the end of the season, the club wanted him to stay, but Afolabi decided to leave after three months.
After leaving Denmark, he announced that he was retiring from playing football. He said he wanted to work in football management and scouting, and he had already earned a certificate for it.
Rabiu Afolabi's International Career
Afolabi played a very important part for Nigeria in the 1999 African Youth Championship. He scored two goals from defence in the semi-final. Nigeria finished second in the tournament.
He then became the captain of Nigeria's under-20 team in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Nigeria.
On 17 June 2000, Afolabi played his first game for the senior Nigeria team. This was a qualifying match for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He was part of the Nigeria teams that played in the 2002 and 2010 World Cups.
Rabiu Afolabi's Playing Style
Afolabi was known as a strong and tall central defender. He was very good at heading the ball. He also had a very powerful shot. He could play in different positions, like a fullback or a defensive midfielder. When his team had a corner kick or a free kick, he was dangerous because he could score goals.
Fun Facts About Rabiu Afolabi
- His name, Afolabi, means "Born into wealth."
- In Nigeria, his nickname was Robocop because of his strong, steady movements.
- In 2011, Afolabi started a charity called "The Rabiu Afolabi Educational Foundation." He began by giving 50,000 special books, worth about $20,000, to schools in his home state of Osun State.
See also
In Spanish: Rabiu Afolabi para niños
