Stephen Makinwa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephen Makinwa

Makinwa with Lazio
Personal information
Date of birth	(1983-07-26) 26 July 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Lagos, Nigeria
Height	1.86 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
	Ebedei
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2001	Reggiana	0	(0)
2000–2001	→ Conegliano (loan)	8	(2)
2001–2002	Como	0	(0)
2002–2003	Reggiana	29	(6)
2003–2005	Genoa	18	(6)
2003–2004	→ Como (loan)	21	(6)
2004	→ Modena (loan)	17	(1)
2005	Atalanta	17	(6)
2005–2006	Palermo	23	(5)
2006–2012	Lazio	45	(3)
2008	→ Reggina (loan)	9	(0)
2009	→ Chievo (loan)	9	(1)
2010–2011	→ Larissa (loan)	10	(1)
2012–2013	Carrarese	13	(6)
2013–2014	Beijing Baxy	11	(4)
2014	Gorica	5	(1)
National team
2004–2008	Nigeria	18	(2)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Stephen Ayodele Makinwa (born July 26, 1983) is a former professional footballer from Nigeria. He played as a forward, which is an attacking position in football. Stephen also proudly represented his home country, Nigeria, as part of their national football team. His middle name, Ayodele, has a special meaning: "Joy has come home."

Stephen Makinwa's Club Journey

Starting in Italy

Stephen Makinwa was born in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2000, an Italian club called Reggiana discovered him. He was playing for a local team in Nigeria called Ebedei. His childhood friend, Obafemi Martins, also played there. Stephen began his football journey in Italy by joining Conegliano, a team in Serie D, on a temporary loan.

In 2001, he moved to Como, a team in Serie B. Como bought half of his player rights. However, Stephen did not play any matches for Como during this time.

In 2002, he returned to Reggiana, which was in Serie C1. The next season, he went back to Como. This time, he played regularly for the team.

Playing for Genoa and Other Teams

Como bought the rest of Makinwa's player rights from Reggiana in June 2003. They then sold him to Genoa in August 2003. For the first half of that season, he stayed on loan at Como. In January 2004, Makinwa was loaned to Modena. This is where he played his first games in Serie A, which is Italy's top football league.

In the 2004–05 season, he went back to Genoa. He scored 6 goals in the first half of the Serie B season. Genoa also had other strong forwards like Diego Milito and Roberto Stellone that season.

Time at Atalanta and Palermo

In January 2005, Makinwa moved to Atalanta. They bought half of his player rights. Atalanta was moved down to a lower league in June 2005. However, the club decided to buy the remaining rights to him on June 27.

In July 2005, Makinwa joined Palermo. The transfer fee was reported to be €7.5 million. He stayed at Palermo for only one season. Still, he showed great potential to become a top Serie A player. He scored 5 goals in 23 league matches. Palermo also qualified for European competitions. He scored 3 goals in the UEFA Cup for them.

Joining Lazio

Makinwa then moved to S.S. Lazio in the summer of 2006. This was a co-ownership deal for €3.3 million. He was reunited with Delio Rossi, who was his coach at Atalanta. In June 2007, Lazio fully bought his contract. This happened after a special auction between Lazio and Palermo, costing another €3.3 million. He also signed a new five-year contract with Lazio.

In the 2007–08 season, Makinwa played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. He did not score any goals as Lazio was knocked out in the group stages. After six months of not playing very well, Lazio sent him on loan to Reggina. This team was trying to avoid being moved to a lower league. He still did not score any goals, ending the season without finding the net.

He started the 2008–09 season as a player who mostly came off the bench for Lazio. He only played four times as a substitute.

On January 22, 2009, Makinwa signed with Chievo until the end of the 2008–09 season. This was a loan deal for €250,000. Chievo had the option to sign him permanently. However, they decided not to, and he returned to Lazio for the 2009–10 season.

Playing in Greece and China

On July 15, 2010, Makinwa joined Larissa in Greece. This was a loan from Lazio until the end of the season.

After his contract with Lazio ended, Makinwa joined Beijing Baxy. This is a team in China League One. He stayed until the end of the 2014 season. He scored 4 goals in his first 9 games there.

Final Club: Gorica

In July 2014, he signed with ND Gorica, a team in Slovenia.

Stephen Makinwa's International Career

Makinwa played for the Nigerian national team. He played 14 games for his country after making his first appearance in 2004.

He played for Nigeria in the 2006 African Cup of Nations. His team finished in third place. Two years later, he played in the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Nigeria did not win, losing to Ghana.

Both Makinwa and his national teammate Obafemi Martins were known for their goal celebrations. They would often do several somersaults in a row after scoring.

Career Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Makinwa para niños