Bartholomew Ogbeche

Bartholomew Ogbeche
Personal information
Full name Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche
Date of birth (1984-10-01) 1 October 1984
Place of birth Ogoja, Nigeria
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Willem
Number 22
Youth career
Lobi Stars
1999–2001 Paris Saint-Germain
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2001–2005 Paris Saint-Germain 57 (6)
2004 → Bastia (loan) 15 (2)
2005 → Metz (loan) 12 (1)
2005–2006 Al-Jazira 16 (5)
2006–2007 Alavés 29 (5)
2007–2009 Valladolid 35 (3)
2009–2010 Cádiz 28 (9)
2010–2011 Kavala 20 (1)
2011–2012 Middlesbrough 17 (3)
2013 Xerez 8 (1)
2014–2016 Cambuur 57 (24)
2016– Willem 4 (1)
National team
2002–2004 Nigeria 11 (3)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 January 2016.

† Appearances (goals)

Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984 in Ogoja) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Dutch club Willem II as a forward.

Club career

Still a youngster, Ogbeche was bought by French Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain FC, making his debuts with the main squad during the 2001–02 season. However, he failed to settle at the club, also suffering a thigh injury[1] and serving two six-month loans, to fellow league sides SC Bastia and FC Metz; for the former, he netted in a 4–1 home win against Olympique de Marseille on 7 March 2004 –[2] the Corsicans secured their top flight status, and he left PSG for good in June 2005.

After a brief time in the United Arab Emirates Ogbeche moved to Spain, first with Deportivo Alavés in Segunda División. Although he posted good individual numbers, the Basque team failed to return to the top division but he joined another club in the main category, Real Valladolid, making his league debut on 26 August 2007 in a 1–0 away win against RCD Espanyol (12 minutes played).[3]

In late August 2009, after two seasons of intermittent use, Ogbeche arranged a one-year deal with Andalusia's Cádiz CF, in the second level. He finished the campaign as the club's top scorer, but it finished in 19th position and was relegated.

After one year in Greece with Kavala FC, Ogbeche joined Football League Championship team Middlesbrough on 18 October 2011, signing until the end of the season.[4] On 17 December he scored his first goal for his new club, against Cardiff City in a 3–2 away win; on 6 March 2012 he came on as a substitute towards the end of the home game against Barnsley, lobbing the ball over Luke Steele for the final 2–0.

In January 2014 Ogbeche moved clubs and countries again, signing for SC Cambuur in the Netherlands. He scored once and provided an assist in his Eredivisie debut, helping to a 3–1 home win over SC Heerenveen.[5]

International career

A Nigerian international since 2002, aged 18, Ogbeche was picked for that year's FIFA World Cup, and appeared in two group stage matches in an eventual group stage exit.[6]

References

  1. ↑ PSG lose forward pair; UEFA.com, 12 November 2002
  2. ↑ PSG suffer Sochaux setback; UEFA.com, 8 March 2004
  3. ↑ Espanyol 0–1 Valladolid; ESPN Soccernet, 26 August 2007
  4. ↑ Middlesbrough sign Nigeria striker Bartholomew Ogbeche; BBC Sports, 18 October 2011
  5. ↑ Ogbeche scores on Cambuur debut; Kick Off, 27 January 2014
  6. ↑ Bartholomew Ogbeche – FIFA competition record

External links

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