Junior Agogo
Encyclopedia
Manuel "Junior" Agogo is a Ghana
ian professional footballer. He is a striker
and currently plays for Scottish Premier League
side Hibernian. He has spent most of his career in England
, as well as spells in the United States
, Egypt
and most recently Cyprus
. He attended St. Augustines Secondary school in Cape Coast
, Ghana
.
, Greater Accra
, Agogo began his career at Sheffield Wednesday
in 1995, but only made two league appearances for the Premier League side. During the 1999–00 season he had loan spells at Oldham Athletic, Chester City
, Chesterfield
, and Lincoln City
. His goal for Chester against Cheltenham Town
in October 1999, was voted the second-best goal ever scored at the Deva Stadium.
to play for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
. He was traded to the Colorado Rapids
after playing just one match in Chicago, going on to score 11 goals in 32 appearances for the Rapids.
He was traded from Colorado to the San Jose Earthquakes
in June 2001 for Chris Carrieri
. He played with the Earthquakes for the rest of the 2001 championship season but was waived early in the 2002 pre-season, replaced on the San Jose roster by Devin Barclay
.
. However, after only two appearances he moved to Football Conference
side Barnet
where he scored 21 goals in 39 games.
side Bristol Rovers
. He played the first thirteen games of the 2003–04 season
before having to have an operation which kept him out for the next nine games. He finished the campaign with 22 goals in all competitions.
In May 2004, the side stayed at a hotel in Doncaster
, following which Agogo was accused by a waitress of rape
. He was cleared of all charges in his February 2005 trial at Sheffield
Crown Court
. In the 2004–05 season
, Agogo scored 20 goals in 51 appearances; the following season he scored 18 goals from 44 appearances.
side Southend United
and League One
side Nottingham Forest
Agogo had a clause in his contract allowing him to speak to other clubs if an acceptable bid was made. On 30 August 2006 the transfer to Forest was completed for an undisclosed fee, with Agogo signing a three-year contract. On September 2006 he made his league debut for Forest as a sub in a home 4–0 win against Chesterfield
. He scored seven league goals over the season, with his first on 30 September 2006 against Swansea City
in a 3–1 win.
On 22 September 2007 Agogo scored his first goals of the 2007–08 season
, a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Gillingham
– the first of his career. He netted two long-range strikes that season with a 35-yard lob of the goalkeeper in Forest's 3–0 win at Yeovil Town
and a 25-yard effort in Forest's 4–1 success against Southend United
. However, Agogo scored only three goals after his return from the 2008 African Cup of Nations
, one of which was against Leyton Orient
at Brisbane Road. He finished as Forest's top-scorer that season with thirteen goals, helping the club gain automatic promotion to the Championship
. Agogo was sold during the summer for a fee of £565,000 to Zamalek SC.
to English side Wigan Athletic
for one year. Though ever since the player entered the club he could not compensate for the absence of the Egyptian international and has been having disputes with the club official regularly until it hit what seemed to be a dead end.
club Hibernian
, who are managed by his former Nottingham Forest manager, Colin Calderwood
, in July 2011.
Agogo scored his first goal for Hibs on 24 September 2011, in a 3–3 draw against Dundee United
.
for a friendly against French
league side OGC Nice
. However, he was not included in the final Ghanaian World Cup
squad. He was recalled to the Ghana squad for an East Asia
tour in which he faced Japan
and South Korea.
On 14 November 2006, Agogo scored his first goal for Ghana, the equaliser in a friendly against Australia; the game finished 1–1. He also scored the third goal in Ghana's 4–1 victory over Nigeria
, played at Brentford's
Griffin Park
.
Agogo was called up to the Ghana squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in the first game of the cup against Guinea, hitting the post with a header in the 20th minute and helping Ghana to a 2–1 victory. He then scored in the following game against Namibia, tapping home Michael Essien
's cross for the only goal of the game.
Agogo then netted another goal, the winner in the quarter final against Nigeria. Ghana missed out on the final, however, and had to settle for a third-place play-off against the Ivory Coast
, in which he scored again in 4–2 victory. Alongside Sulley Muntari
he was Ghana's top scorer in the competition.
Currently, he has netted 12 goals in his first 27 matches for the national team.
Apollon Limassol
Nottingham Forest
San Jose Earthquakes
Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian professional footballer. He is a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and currently plays for Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Hibernian. He has spent most of his career in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as well as spells in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and most recently Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. He attended St. Augustines Secondary school in Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
Sheffield Wednesday
Born in AccraAccra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Greater Accra
Greater Accra Region
The Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana...
, Agogo began his career at Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in 1995, but only made two league appearances for the Premier League side. During the 1999–00 season he had loan spells at Oldham Athletic, Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, and Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. His goal for Chester against Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
in October 1999, was voted the second-best goal ever scored at the Deva Stadium.
United States
In 2000 Agogo left Sheffield Wednesday and moved to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to play for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. He was traded to the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
after playing just one match in Chicago, going on to score 11 goals in 32 appearances for the Rapids.
He was traded from Colorado to the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in June 2001 for Chris Carrieri
Chris Carrieri
Chris Carrieri is an American soccer player currently playing for Richmond Kickers in the USL Second Division.-College and Amateur:...
. He played with the Earthquakes for the rest of the 2001 championship season but was waived early in the 2002 pre-season, replaced on the San Jose roster by Devin Barclay
Devin Barclay
Devin Barclay is an amateur American football placekicker for The Ohio State Buckeyes. He was formerly a professional soccer player, who last played for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer....
.
Back in England
In 2002, Agogo returned to England, this time with Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
. However, after only two appearances he moved to Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
side Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
where he scored 21 goals in 39 games.
Bristol Rovers
In the summer of 2003, Agogo joined Third DivisionFootball League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
side Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. He played the first thirteen games of the 2003–04 season
The Football League 2003-04
The 2003–2004 season was the 104th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season was the last association football season in the football league where the divisions were known as "First", "Second", and "Third"...
before having to have an operation which kept him out for the next nine games. He finished the campaign with 22 goals in all competitions.
In May 2004, the side stayed at a hotel in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, following which Agogo was accused by a waitress of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. He was cleared of all charges in his February 2005 trial at Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. In the 2004–05 season
The Football League 2004-05
The 2004–2005 season was the 105th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season the league was contested through three divisions. 2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football...
, Agogo scored 20 goals in 51 appearances; the following season he scored 18 goals from 44 appearances.
Nottingham Forest
In summer 2006 Rovers turned down bids from Agogo from ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
and League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
Agogo had a clause in his contract allowing him to speak to other clubs if an acceptable bid was made. On 30 August 2006 the transfer to Forest was completed for an undisclosed fee, with Agogo signing a three-year contract. On September 2006 he made his league debut for Forest as a sub in a home 4–0 win against Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
. He scored seven league goals over the season, with his first on 30 September 2006 against Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
in a 3–1 win.
On 22 September 2007 Agogo scored his first goals of the 2007–08 season
The Football League 2007-08
The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...
, a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
– the first of his career. He netted two long-range strikes that season with a 35-yard lob of the goalkeeper in Forest's 3–0 win at Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
and a 25-yard effort in Forest's 4–1 success against Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
. However, Agogo scored only three goals after his return from the 2008 African Cup of Nations
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football . The tournament was staged at...
, one of which was against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
at Brisbane Road. He finished as Forest's top-scorer that season with thirteen goals, helping the club gain automatic promotion to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Agogo was sold during the summer for a fee of £565,000 to Zamalek SC.
Zamalek
On 2 July 2008, Junior Agogo joined Zamalek SC at a time when the team needed a striker. He wore the number 19 shirt for El Zamalek but later shifted to number nine after Zamalek agreed to loan Amr ZakiAmr Zaki
Amr Zaki is an Egyptian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Zamalek and the Egypt national team. He is known for his strong headers and for being a top striker in Africa.-Early career:...
to English side Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
for one year. Though ever since the player entered the club he could not compensate for the absence of the Egyptian international and has been having disputes with the club official regularly until it hit what seemed to be a dead end.
Apollon Limassol
Agogo joined Apollon Limassol on 5 August 2009, signing a two-year contract with the Cypriots.Hibernian
Agogo signed a one year contract with Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, who are managed by his former Nottingham Forest manager, Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood is a Scottish football player and coach. In November 2011 he was appointed as Chris Hughton's assistant manager at Birmingham City....
, in July 2011.
Agogo scored his first goal for Hibs on 24 September 2011, in a 3–3 draw against Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
.
International career
In May 2006 Agogo was called up by GhanaGhana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
for a friendly against French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
league side OGC Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
. However, he was not included in the final Ghanaian World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
squad. He was recalled to the Ghana squad for an East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
tour in which he faced Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
and South Korea.
On 14 November 2006, Agogo scored his first goal for Ghana, the equaliser in a friendly against Australia; the game finished 1–1. He also scored the third goal in Ghana's 4–1 victory over Nigeria
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...
, played at Brentford's
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
Griffin Park
Griffin Park
Griffin Park is a football ground situated in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It has been the home ground of League One side Brentford since it was built in 1904. It is known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner, and is situated in a...
.
Agogo was called up to the Ghana squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in the first game of the cup against Guinea, hitting the post with a header in the 20th minute and helping Ghana to a 2–1 victory. He then scored in the following game against Namibia, tapping home Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
's cross for the only goal of the game.
Agogo then netted another goal, the winner in the quarter final against Nigeria. Ghana missed out on the final, however, and had to settle for a third-place play-off against the Ivory Coast
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
, in which he scored again in 4–2 victory. Alongside Sulley Muntari
Sulley Muntari
Sulleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan in Italy. He has 66 caps for The Black Stars of Ghana.-Early career:...
he was Ghana's top scorer in the competition.
Currently, he has netted 12 goals in his first 27 matches for the national team.
Club
Apollon LimassolApollon Limassol
Apollon Limassol is a Greek Cypriot sports club, based in Limassol. It has football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1954, Apollon F.C...
- Cypriot Cup: 20102009–10 Cypriot CupThe 2009–10 Cypriot Cup started on September 23, 2009. Only teams from the first and second division will participate . Teams from the lower divisions will compete in a separate cup competition. The Cypriot cup will be completed in 5 rounds...
Nottingham Forest
- League One: Runner-Up 2007-08The Football League 2007-08The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...
San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
MLS Cup 2001MLS Cup 2001The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime...
International
GhanaGhana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
- Africa Cup of Nations: Third-Place 2008
External links
- Junior Agogo Official Website – another profile for the same player
- Lincoln City F.C. Official Archive Profile
- Unofficial Junior Agogo Profile at The Forgotten Imp