Ikechukwu Ezenwa
Ikechukwu Vincent Ezenwa (born 16 October 1988) is a Nigerian professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Katsina United F.C..
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Ikechukwu Vincent Ezenwa[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 16 October 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Yenagoa, Nigeria | |||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Heartland FC | |||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
2006–2008 | Ocean Boys F.C. | 56 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2008–2011 | Heartland F.C. | 61 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2011–2014 | Sharks F.C. | 45 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2014–2016 | Sunshine Stars F.C. | 38 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2016–2017 | Ifeanyi Ubah F.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||
2017–2019 | Enyimba International F.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||
2019– | Katsina United F.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||
National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | Nigeria U-20 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2008 | Nigeria U-23 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2015– | Nigeria | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 November 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 June 2019 |
Club career
He began his football professional career with Ocean Boys before moved to Heartland FC in July 2008.[2] He moved to Ifeanyi Ubah in 2016.[3] Contract End in 2017. He has then completed a move to Enyimba [4] . Contract End in 2018. He moved on to join Katsina United on January 1, 2019.[5] One of his respected goalkeeper trainer who impacted greatly to his career is former Sunshine Stars Coach, Daramola Nicholas Akinsehinwa between the year 2013 to 2016 during his playing time with Sunshine Stars F.C. and this great development to his potentials made the Nigeria Super Eagles call-up possible by which Ikechukwu Ezenwa was part of the Nigeria squad at the 2014 World Cup.
International career
He was a member of the Nigeria U-23 at the 2008 Summer Olympics, featuring in the qualifier games. He got the call up to the Nigeria Super Eagles in 2015 under the authority of Coach Sunday Oliseh. Following the injury of Nigeria's first choice goalkeeper Carl Ikeme he was called up to be part of the squad in the World cup and Nations cup qualifications by Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and given the number 1 jersey replacing Ikeme as first choice goalkeeper of the Super Eagles.
Ezenwa showed some class of keeping during Nigeria's back to back matches against the ‘indomitable lions’ of Cameroon in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In May 2018, he was named in Nigeria’s preliminary 30 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.[6]
Career statistics
International
- Statistics accurate as of match played 30 June 2019.[7]
Nigeria | ||
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Year | Apps | Goals |
2015 | 3 | 0 |
2016 | 3 | 0 |
2017 | 6 | 0 |
2018 | 7 | 0 |
2019 | 2 | 0 |
Total | 21 | 0 |
References
- "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- "Ezenwa gets pay rise at IfeanyiUbah - Nigeria Premier League 2016 - Ifeanyi Ubah FC". African Football. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- "Ikechukwu Ezenwa thrilled with Enyimba move | Goal.com". Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- "Super Eagles goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa joins Katsina United from Enyimba". www.pulse.ng. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists". goal.com. Goal. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- "Ikechukwu Ezenwa". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 23 June 2018.