Joseph Yobo
Encyclopedia
Joseph Yobo is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a centre back for Fenerbahçe, on loan from Everton. He is also an international for the Nigerian national team
, for which he has 81 caps and currently captains.
player George Abbey
with whom he grew up. He later consulted with Abbey when deciding whether to move to England.
Yobo left Nigeria to join Standard Liège
in 1998. He made his first team debut in 2000, and went on to appear 46 times. In 2001, he was bought by Marseille
.
. After around nine months, Yobo returned to Marseille, before joining Everton
, again on loan, in July 2002. A £1 million fee was required to register the player, and he became the first signing of David Moyes
. An option to make the move permanent was taken up and completed in 2003 after a dispute between Yobo and Marseille was settled, with Everton agreeing a fixed additional fee of £4 million.
Yobo became one of the most consistent players in the Everton squad, and was one of only seven players in the entire league to play every minute of every game throughout the 2006–07 season.
The delay, in 2006, in signing a new contract with Everton lead to rumours of a move to Arsenal
, but on 22 July, Yobo committed himself to Goodison Park
until 2010. As of 15 April 2007, Yobo is the record appearance holder for an overseas player at Everton. For the UEFA Cup match against Larissa of Greece
on 25 October 2007, Yobo was named as captain in the absence of Phil Neville and thus became the first African to captain the club. On 6 May 2009, Yobo scored his first goal of the season against West Ham United to seal a 3–1 win.
In the 2009–10 season, Yobo had to adjust to his new defensive partner, Sylvain Distin
, after Joleon Lescott
left and Phil Jagielka
became injured. On 29 November 2009, he scored an own goal in Everton's 2–0 defeat to Liverpool
in the Merseyside Derby
. Distin, Jagielka and John Heitinga
have recently been selected over Yobo, confining him to the bench for most matches.
.
However Fenerbahçe also involved in the sports corruption scandal
, which saw Diego Lugano
was sold. On 6 September 2011, Fenerbahçe agreed another loan for €700,000 and Yugo signed a 1-year contract worth €2.35 million.
played in the Super Eagles' three matches in Japan and South Korea, for the 2002 World Cup
, and even provided the assist for his side's only goal of the tournament. Yobo's play at international level has received positive reviews. He was also part of the Nigerian squad for the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa
, after which he assumed the Eagles' captaincy on the international retirement of Nwankwo Kanu
.
in a midnight ceremony held in Jos
. They were expecting their first child together.The couple welcomed a baby boy named Joey Yobo April 2010
He is the younger brother of former Nigeria international Albert Yobo
. In July 2008, his younger brother Norum was kidnapped in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
, Nigeria and held for ransom. He was eventually released after 12 days on 17 July 2008.
It was widely reported in the Nigerian media that Yobo went to T.B. Joshua
for prayers after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
.
|2000–01||Standard Liège
||Jupiler League||30||2||–||–||colspan="2"| ||–||–||30||2
|-
|-
|2001–02||Olympique Marseille
||Ligue 1
||23||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||23||0
|-
|-
|2001–02||Tenerife
||Segunda División
||0||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||0||0
|-
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="8"|Everton
||rowspan="8"|Premier League||24||0||–||–||2||0||–||–||26||0
|-
|2003–04||28||2||1||0||2||0||–||–||31||2
|-
|2004–05||27||0||3||0||3||0||–||–||33||0
|-
|2005–06||29||1||–||–||1||0||4||1||34||2
|-
|2006–07||38||2||1||0||1||0||–||–||40||2
|-
|2007–08||30||1||–||–||2||0||7||0||39||1
|-
|2008–09||27||1||–||–||1||0||2||0||33||1
|-
|2009–10||17||1||–||–||0||0||6||1||23||2
|-
|-
|2010–11
||Fenerbahce (loan)||Super Lig||30||1||3||0||–||–||–||–||33||1
|-
30||2||–||–||colspan="2"| ||–||–||30||2
23||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||23||0
0||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||0||0
220||8||5||0||12||0||19||2||259||10
30||1||3||0||-||-||-||-||33||1
303||11||8||0||12||0||19||2||345||13
|-
|2001||7||0
|-
|2002||12||0
|-
|2003||3||1
|-
|2004||10||2
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
|2006||8||0
|-
|2007||4||0
|-
|2008||10||2
|-
|2009||5||0
|-
|2010||10||0
|-
|2011||3||0
|-
!Total||79||5
|}
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, for which he has 81 caps and currently captains.
Club career
Yobo was born in Kono, but he grew up in Port Harcourt and is close friends with Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
player George Abbey
George Abbey (footballer)
George Peterson Abbey is a Nigerian international football defender who plays for Akritas Chlorakas in the Cypriot Second Division....
with whom he grew up. He later consulted with Abbey when deciding whether to move to England.
Yobo left Nigeria to join Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
in 1998. He made his first team debut in 2000, and went on to appear 46 times. In 2001, he was bought by Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
.
Everton
Soon after making his debut, Yobo was loaned to TenerifeCD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
. After around nine months, Yobo returned to Marseille, before joining Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, again on loan, in July 2002. A £1 million fee was required to register the player, and he became the first signing of David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
. An option to make the move permanent was taken up and completed in 2003 after a dispute between Yobo and Marseille was settled, with Everton agreeing a fixed additional fee of £4 million.
Yobo became one of the most consistent players in the Everton squad, and was one of only seven players in the entire league to play every minute of every game throughout the 2006–07 season.
The delay, in 2006, in signing a new contract with Everton lead to rumours of a move to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, but on 22 July, Yobo committed himself to Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
until 2010. As of 15 April 2007, Yobo is the record appearance holder for an overseas player at Everton. For the UEFA Cup match against Larissa of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
on 25 October 2007, Yobo was named as captain in the absence of Phil Neville and thus became the first African to captain the club. On 6 May 2009, Yobo scored his first goal of the season against West Ham United to seal a 3–1 win.
In the 2009–10 season, Yobo had to adjust to his new defensive partner, Sylvain Distin
Sylvain Distin
Sylvain Distin is a French footballer who plays for English Premier League side Everton.-Early career:Born in Bagnolet, Distin started his career at French non-league side Joue-les-Tours before moving to Tours a year later, where he played 26 times and scored three goals. He then transferred to...
, after Joleon Lescott
Joleon Lescott
Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back....
left and Phil Jagielka
Phil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
became injured. On 29 November 2009, he scored an own goal in Everton's 2–0 defeat to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the Merseyside Derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
. Distin, Jagielka and John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
have recently been selected over Yobo, confining him to the bench for most matches.
Fenerbahçe
On 31 August 2010 Joseph Yobo signed a 1-year loan contract with Fenerbahçe. Yobo made 30 official matches and 1 goal taken, winning 2010–11 Süper Lig2010–11 Süper Lig
The 2010–11 Süper Lig is the 53rd season since its establishment. Bursaspor are defending champions having won their first Turkish championship last season. The season began on 14 August 2010 and concluded on 22 May 2011...
.
However Fenerbahçe also involved in the sports corruption scandal
2011 Turkish sports corruption scandal
The 2011 Turkish Sports corruption scandal is an ongoing investigation about match fixing, incentive premium, bribery, establishing a criminal organization, organized crime, extortion, threat and intimidation in Turkey's top two association football divisions, the Süper Lig and First League, and...
, which saw Diego Lugano
Diego Lugano
Diego Alfredo "Tota" Lugano Moreno is a Uruguayan footballer who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Uruguay national football team as a central defender....
was sold. On 6 September 2011, Fenerbahçe agreed another loan for €700,000 and Yugo signed a 1-year contract worth €2.35 million.
International career
After making his debut in Spring 2001, the Nigerian internationalNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
played in the Super Eagles' three matches in Japan and South Korea, for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, and even provided the assist for his side's only goal of the tournament. Yobo's play at international level has received positive reviews. He was also part of the Nigerian squad for the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, after which he assumed the Eagles' captaincy on the international retirement of Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010...
.
Personal life
In 2010, following a brief courtship, Yobo married former MBGN Adaeze IgweAdaeze Igwe
Adaeze Yobo is a former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, and step-daughter of former football player John Fashanu...
in a midnight ceremony held in Jos
Jos
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....
. They were expecting their first child together.The couple welcomed a baby boy named Joey Yobo April 2010
He is the younger brother of former Nigeria international Albert Yobo
Albert Yobo
Michael Albert Yobo is a retired Nigerian football defender. He is the older brother of Nigeria international captain Joseph Yobo. In July 2008, their younger brother Norum Yobo was kidnapped in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and held for ransom...
. In July 2008, his younger brother Norum was kidnapped in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Nigeria and held for ransom. He was eventually released after 12 days on 17 July 2008.
It was widely reported in the Nigerian media that Yobo went to T.B. Joshua
T.B. Joshua
Temitope Balogun Joshua , commonly referred to as T. B. Joshua, is a Christian, minister, televangelist and faith healer...
for prayers after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
Charity work
In 2007, Yobo set up the Joseph Yobo Charity Foundation, to help under-privileged children in Nigeria. As of 18 July 2007, he has handed out over 300 scholarship awards ranging from primary to university level. Yobo has started a football academy in the Ogoni region of Nigeria. He also runs football camps in LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
.
Career statistics
|-|2000–01||Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
||Jupiler League||30||2||–||–||colspan="2"| ||–||–||30||2
|-
|-
|2001–02||Olympique Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
||Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||23||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||23||0
|-
|-
|2001–02||Tenerife
CD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
||Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
||0||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||0||0
|-
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="8"|Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
||rowspan="8"|Premier League||24||0||–||–||2||0||–||–||26||0
|-
|2003–04||28||2||1||0||2||0||–||–||31||2
|-
|2004–05||27||0||3||0||3||0||–||–||33||0
|-
|2005–06||29||1||–||–||1||0||4||1||34||2
|-
|2006–07||38||2||1||0||1||0||–||–||40||2
|-
|2007–08||30||1||–||–||2||0||7||0||39||1
|-
|2008–09||27||1||–||–||1||0||2||0||33||1
|-
|2009–10||17||1||–||–||0||0||6||1||23||2
|-
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Süper Lig
The 2010–11 Süper Lig is the 53rd season since its establishment. Bursaspor are defending champions having won their first Turkish championship last season. The season began on 14 August 2010 and concluded on 22 May 2011...
||Fenerbahce (loan)||Super Lig||30||1||3||0||–||–||–||–||33||1
|-
30||2||–||–||colspan="2"| ||–||–||30||2
23||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||23||0
0||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||0||0
220||8||5||0||12||0||19||2||259||10
30||1||3||0||-||-||-||-||33||1
303||11||8||0||12||0||19||2||345||13
|-
|2001||7||0
|-
|2002||12||0
|-
|2003||3||1
|-
|2004||10||2
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
|2006||8||0
|-
|2007||4||0
|-
|2008||10||2
|-
|2009||5||0
|-
|2010||10||0
|-
|2011||3||0
|-
!Total||79||5
|}
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 June 2003 | Lagos National Stadium, Lagos Lagos Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa... , Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in... |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | ||||||
| 2. | 31 January 2004 | Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet is a multi-use stadium in Monastir, Tunisia. It is currently used by football team US Monastir, and was used for the 2004 African Cup of Nations. The stadium holds 20,000 people.... , Monastir Monastir -Places:Italy* Monastir, Sardinia - a comune in the Province of CagliariOttoman Empire* Monastir Province, Ottoman Empire, a vilayet covering parts of modern Albania, Greece and the Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of Macedonia... , Tunisia Tunisia Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area... |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2004 African Cup of Nations 2004 African Cup of Nations The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four... |
||||||
| 3. | 3 July 2004 | Abuja Stadium Abuja Stadium Abuja National Stadium is an all-seater national sports stadium located in Abuja, the rapidly developing Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. The stadium serves as a home to the Nigerian National Football Team, the Super Eagles, as well as a center for various social, cultural, and religious events... , Abuja Abuja Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos... , Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in... |
1-0 | 1-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round The CAF Second Round of 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification began on 5 June 2005 and finished on 8 October 2005.The highest-ranked country in each group at the end of the stage qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup... |
||||||
| 4. | 7 June 2008 | National Stadium National Stadium (Sierra Leone) Brookfields National Stadium is a multi-use national stadium of Sierra Leone, located in the capital city of Freetown. It is used mostly for football matches and it also has athletics facilities. It is the largest stadium in Sierra Leone and has a 45,000 capacity... , Freetown Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of... , Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4... |
0-1 | 0–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||
| 5. | 15 June 2008 | Nuevo Estadio de Malabo Nuevo Estadio de Malabo Nuevo Estadio de Malabo is a multi-purpose stadium in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 15,250 and opened in 2007. It is currently the home ground of the Equatorial Guinea national football team. It is one of the host stadiums for the... , Malabo Malabo Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea, located on the northern coast of Bioko Island on the rim of a sunken volcano.... , Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the... |
0-1 | 0–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||
| 6. | 5 June 2011 | Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia... , Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2... |
2-2 | 2–2 | 2012 African Cup of Nations qualification | ||||||
| 7. | 4 September 2011 | Mahamasina Stadium, Antananarivo Antananarivo Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana.... , Madagascar Madagascar The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa... |
0-1 | 0–2 | 2012 African Cup of Nations qualification | ||||||
| Correct as of 4 September 2011 | |||||||||||
Honours
Individual- CAF AwardsCAF AwardsThe CAF Awards is an awards evening held to honour the best African football players. It is conferred by the Confederation of African Football .-CAF Young Player of the Year:-CAF Coach of the Year:-African Inter-Club Team of the Year:...
– voted in best African XI for 2007–08 season - Turkish Süper Lig winner with Fenerbahçe in 2010-11
External links
- Joseph Yobo Foundation Charity founded by Joseph Yobo
- BBC Coverage of Joseph Yobo Foundation
- International appearances
- Premier League profile