Obinna Nwaneri
Encyclopedia
Obinna Nwaneri is a football defender
from Nigeria
. His name, Obinna, means "Father´s heart" in Igbo
. He is described as mobile central defender with pace, control and timing. A natural leader, which had earned him the captain armband in Enyimba and FC Sion respectively. His star has steadily continued to rise, first with top Nigerian side, Julius Berger, then with African Champions Enyimba, where he won the CAF champions league and then he signed with Swiss club FC Sion
during the 2007 January transfer window, a club he later captained before leaving last summer.
A team he captained until he left last summer.
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
from 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...
. His name, Obinna, means "Father´s heart" in Igbo
Igbo language
Igbo , or Igbo proper, is a native language of the Igbo people, an ethnic group primarily located in southeastern Nigeria. There are approximately 20 million speakers that are mostly in Nigeria and are primarily of Igbo descent. Igbo is a national language of Nigeria. It is written in the Latin...
. He is described as mobile central defender with pace, control and timing. A natural leader, which had earned him the captain armband in Enyimba and FC Sion respectively. His star has steadily continued to rise, first with top Nigerian side, Julius Berger, then with African Champions Enyimba, where he won the CAF champions league and then he signed with Swiss club FC Sion
FC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
during the 2007 January transfer window, a club he later captained before leaving last summer.
Career breakdown
- 2000: Broke into a talented Julius Berger side that had an amazing turnaround season, going from barely escaping relegation the season before, to annexing the Nigerian Pepsi League crown.
- 2001: Had a standout season with the 'Bridge Boys', proving to be one of the League's best defenders. Berger, unfortunately, failed to retain their League title and were knocked out of the African Champions Cup.
- 2002: Won the Nigerian Cup with Julius Berger, after defeating Yobe Stars 3-0 in the final.
- 2003: Moved to League Champions Enyimba, forming a dream partnership at the back with Romanus OrjintaRomanus OrjintaRomanus Orjinta is a Nigerian Midfielder who currently played for Niger Tornadoes F.C..-Career:In 2003 he was the captain from Enyimba International F.C. before transferred to Lillestrøm SK. On 26 August 2008 former Nigerian International, Romanus Orjinta, is set to resurrect his career with Niger...
. Had a standout season in an historic season for Enyimba, as they won the Nigerian League for the 3rd year running and became the first Nigerian club to win the continents' most prized club trophy - The African Champions Cup.
- 2004: Captained Enyimba as they successfully defended their African Champions League crown, by defeating Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia with a 5-3 penalty victory. Scored the vital fifth penalty that secured the win. However, this time around, Enyimba would not win Nigerian League. Agreed personal terms with South African side Orlando Pirates in July, but the deal fell through as the clubs could not agree on a fee.
- 2004-05: Moved to Tunisian powerhouse EspéranceEspéranceEspérance Sportive de Tunis is a sports club based in Tunis, Tunisia. It fields several sport teams in football, handball, volleyball, etc.It is the most popular and successful team in Tunisia and was founded on January 15, 1919...
, in early 2005, where he has had an outstanding season.
- 2005-06: Selected for the Nigerian national football team for the 2006 African Cup of Nations2006 African Cup of Nations-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
tournament.
- 2006-07: Signed for Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
team FC SionFC SionFC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
until June 2010.
A team he captained until he left last summer.
- 2010: After a proposed loan spell in the United Arab EmiratiUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club Al Dhafra did not fell through Obinna Joined Kuwaiti club Kazma.
- 2011: Kazma Obinna finished his contract with Kazma and has since been linked with a host of European clubs.