Godfrey Oboabona
Obabona with Çaykur Rizespor in 2013
Personal information
Full name Godfrey Itama Oboabona[1]
Date of birth (1990-08-16) 16 August 1990
Place of birth Ondo, Nigeria
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
2006–2010 Rising Stars
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Sunshine Stars
2013–2017 Çaykur Rizespor 96 (5)
2017–2018 Al-Ahli 9 (0)
2018–2019 Gorica 14 (0)
2020 FC Dinamo Batumi 11 (2)
International career‡
2012–2016 Nigeria 39 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2013 South Africa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:57, 26 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:00, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

Godfrey Itama Oboabona (born 16 August 1990) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.[3]

Club career

Oboabona was born in Ondo City, and began his professional career with local club Sunshine Stars[2] In August 2013, the BBC claimed there was speculation linking him with a move to English side Arsenal, a claim denied by both Oboabona and Sunshine Stars chairman Mike Odoko.[4]

Later that month, he signed a four-year contract with Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor.[5] He described the transfer as a "dream move."[6] In September 2018, Oboabona joined HNK Gorica in the Croatian First Football League.[7][8]

In February 2020 he signed for Georgian club FC Dinamo Batumi.[9]

International career

Oboabona made his international debut for Nigeria in 2012,[2] and has appeared in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.[1] He was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.[10]

He was selected for Nigeria's squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup,[11] and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[12] Oboabona was selected by Nigeria for their 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Godfrey Oboabona – FIFA competition record (archived)
  2. 1 2 3 Godfrey Oboabona at National-Football-Teams.com
  3. ↑ Godfrey Oboabona at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Oluwashina Okeleji (3 August 2013). "Nigeria defender Oboabona denies Arsenal link and criticising Wenger". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Oboabona completes move to Rizespor". SuperSport. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  6. ↑ Oluwashina Okeleji (23 August 2013). "Godfrey Oboabona delights in 'dream' move to Turkey". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "Godfrey Oboabona joins Croatia top-flight side HNK Gorica". Goal.com. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Nigerijski reprezentativac novi je igrač Gorice" (in Croatian). HNK Gorica. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Oboabona: Why I joined aspiring Dinamo Batumi | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
  10. ↑ Oluwashina Okeleji (10 January 2013). "Nations Cup 2013: Nigeria pick six locally-based players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "Nigeria to take new-look squad to Confederations Cup". BBC Sport. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "World Cup 2014: Peter Odemwingie in provisional Nigeria squad". BBC Sport. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  13. ↑ Oluwashina Okeleji (24 June 2016). "Kelechi Iheanacho included in Nigeria's Olympics squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
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