Efe Ambrose

Efe Ambrose
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-10-18) 18 October 1988
Place of birth Kaduna, Nigeria
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Centre Back / Right Back
Club information
Current team
 Celtic
Number 4
Youth career
Kaduna United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2006–2010 Kaduna United 89 (7)
2008–2009 → Bayelsa United (loan) 24 (4)
2010–2012 Ashdod 67 (3)
2012– Celtic 110 (5)
National team‡
2007 Nigeria U20 4 (0)
2008 Nigeria U23 2 (0)
2008- Nigeria 50 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 January 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 April 2016

Efetobore "Efe" Ambrose Emuobo (born 18 October 1988) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a centre back or a right back for Scottish Premiership club Celtic. He also plays in the Nigeria national football team.

Ambrose has represented Nigeria at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, the Summer Olympics and the Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Early career

Ambrose started his professional career at Kaduna United in 2006 and two years later, he was loaned to Bayelsa United for the 2008–09 season but remained with Kaduna United after helping them win promotion.[1]

FC Ashdod

Ambrose joined Israeli Premier League club FC Ashdod in June 2010 and left in 2012.[2]

Celtic

Ambrose joined Scottish Premier League club Celtic in the summer 2012 transfer deadline day, signing a three-year contract.[3] After joining the club, Ambrose praised his new team mates at Celtic for helping him settle down in Glasgow quickly.[4] Ambrose also revealed he studied British football in order to join Celtic by watching both Scottish Premier League and English Premier League games on TV upon hearing about Celtic's interest in him.[5]

Ambrose made his début on 22 September 2012 as a substitute for Celtic captain Scott Brown against Dundee in the Scottish Premier League, a 2–0 victory.[6][7] He made his full début against Raith Rovers in the Scottish League Cup, in a 4–1 victory. He scored his first goal for Celtic in a 5–0 win over St Mirren on 20 October 2012, celebrating the goal with a quadruple somersault.[8] Ambrose went on to make his Champions League debut for Celtic, where he played 90 minutes in a 3–2 win over Spartak Moscow.[9] On 4 November 2012, Ambrose headed in an own goal, in a 2–2 draw against Dundee United. After the match, Ambrose said he let himself down and felt that he could have cleared the ball away.[10] On 7 November 2012, ahead of a Champions League game against Barcelona, Ambrose made a vow to give his best ever performance for the club.[11] After a stunning performance by the Celtic players, they won 2–1 and Ambrose said that winning against Barcelona was the 'perfect way to celebrate Celtic's 125th Anniversary.[12]

At the end of the Champions League group stage campaign, Celtic qualified for the knock-out stages and faced Italian side Juventus. In the first leg, Ambrose was named in the squad ahead of the match, only 3 days after Nigeria had won the Africa Cup of Nations, Ambrose had played the full 90 minutes in the final.[13] However, Ambrose made several mistakes during the match, allowing Alessandro Matri (first goal) and Mirko Vučinić (third goal) to score with ease. He also missed the club's best chance to score late in the game.[14] His performance was criticised by team-mate Kris Commons.[14] Though criticised, Ambrose was defended by Kelvin Wilson, who believed that Ambrose would bounce back from his disappointing performance.[15] Ambrose made amends in the next league game when he scored Celtic's opener in a 6–2 win over Dundee United. Ambrose's (along with Commons) performance was praised by Neil Lennon.[16] Three days later, he scored again, in a 1–1 draw against St Johnstone. His strong performances led to rumours of a new contract.[17] Ahead of the second leg against Juventus, Ambrose revealed team-mate Commons had made amends with him.[18] He also revealed Commons' criticism inspired him to become a better player.[19] After the match, which Juventus won 2–0 and progressed to the quarter finals, Neil Lennon revealed Ambrose was late for training and missed the team bus from the hotel and was left to catch up by taxi,[20] Lennon also stated that Ambrose needed to "sort himself out."[21]

International career

Ambrose was a member of the Nigeria national under-20 football team at 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.[22][23] He later represented Nigeria U-23 and played two games at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[24]

He was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.[25] In the Africa Cup of Nations, Ambrose played five out of six games for Nigeria, playing in the right-back position, including the final which he started. After the tournament, Ambrose was named in the African Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament.[26] Ambrose says winning the Africa Cup of Nations was his biggest achievement and one of the greatest moments of his life.[27] Ambrose's most recent goal came in a 3-0 win over Cameroon he scored the first goal

He was selected for Nigeria's squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup[28]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 October 2012 Calabar  Liberia 6–1 Win 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Style of play

Ambrose often played as a defensive midfielder for the Nigeria national football team and can also play as a centre back or right back, doing so in the Israeli Premier League at FC Ashdod.[29] A ball playing centre-half, Efe is known for his composure in possession.[30]

Career statistics

As of 30 April 2016
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ashdod 2010–11 3116020--391
2011–12 3521042--404
2012–13 103000--40
Total 67310062--835
Celtic 2012–13 273502070413
2013–14 3822010111523
2014–15 2703020110430
2015–16 180202060280
Total 1105120703511646
Career Total 177822013235124711

Honours

Club

Bayelsa
Kaduna United
Celtic

International

Nigeria

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Nigeria: Bayelsa Grab Ambrose, Keep Okonkwo
  2. ↑ Translated from FC Ashdod page
  3. ↑ "Celtic: Efe Ambrose completes move from Ashdod". BBC Sport (BBC). 31 August 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Efe Ambrose thanks his team mates for helping him settle in at Celtic Park". STV. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Efe Ambrose reveals he studied British football ahead of move to Celtic". Daily Record. 27 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Efe Ambrose". Fitba Stats. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Egbe, Uche George (23 September 2012). "Ambrose debuts in Scotland". Kick Off. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "St Mirren 0–5 Celtic". BBC. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "Efe Ambrose's Celtic shock Spartak". MTN Football. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Celtic's Efe Ambrose pledges to make amends for last minute Tannadice shocker". Daily Record. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "I will play the 'game of my life' against Barcelona, says Celtic defender Ambrose". Goal.com. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "Efe Ambrose: Celtic win over Barca was perfect 125th birthday pressie". Daily Record. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "Celtic stopper Efe Ambrose heads back to Glasgow after African Nations Cup victory". Daily Record. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  14. 1 2 "'He should have put in a better performance' – Commons hits out at Ambrose after Juventus defeat". Goal.com. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  15. ↑ "Ambrose will bounce back after criticism, says Celtic defender Wilson". Goal.com. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "Celtic 6 Dundee United 2: Commons and Ambrose bury the Euro hatchet to sink Dundee United". Daily Record. 16 February 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "Efe Ambrose wants to talk to Celtic about a new deal, says his agent". Daily Record. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "I'm so sorry Efe". The Scottish Sun. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  19. ↑ "Celtic defender Efe Ambrose says Kris Common's criticism has inspired him to become a better player". Daily Record. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  20. ↑ "Celtic discipline Ambrose for lateness before Juventus tie". Goal.com. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  21. ↑ "Celtic boss Neil Lennon orders dozy defender Efe Ambrose to sort out mental state.. and his heading". Daily Record. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  22. ↑ "Flying Eagles' Star Class of 2007: Where Are They Now? | Wolexis Sports Blog". www.wolexis.com. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  23. ↑ FIFA.com – FIFA Player Statistics: Efe AMBROSE
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ Oluwashina Okeleji (10 January 2013). "Nations Cup 2013: Nigeria pick six locally-based players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  26. ↑ "Mikel, Moses, Emenike, Pitroipa named in CAF Team of Tournament". Premium Times Nigeria. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  27. ↑ "Ambrose: We leave as giants". FIFA.com. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  28. ↑ "Nigeria to take new-look squad to Confederations Cup". BBC Sport. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  29. ↑ SkySports.com Player Profile
  30. ↑ Fisher, Stewart (25 October 2012). "Ambrose and Wilson making strong case for the Celtic Defence". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 6 December 2013.

External links

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