Godfrey Itama Oboabona MON (born 16 August 1990) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.[3]
 Obabona with Çaykur Rizespor in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Godfrey Itama Oboabona[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 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
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*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) | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
editOboabona 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
editOboabona 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]
Honours
editOrders
Member of the Order of the Niger[14]
References
edit- ^ a b Godfrey Oboabona – FIFA competition record (archived)
- ^ a b c Godfrey Oboabona at National-Football-Teams.com
- ^ Godfrey Oboabona at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ Oluwashina Okeleji (3 August 2013). "Nigeria defender Oboabona denies Arsenal link and criticising Wenger". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Oboabona completes move to Rizespor". SuperSport. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ Oluwashina Okeleji (23 August 2013). "Godfrey Oboabona delights in 'dream' move to Turkey". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
- ^ "Godfrey Oboabona joins Croatia top-flight side HNK Gorica". Goal.com. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ "Nigerijski reprezentativac novi je igrač Gorice" (in Croatian). HNK Gorica. 11 September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ "Oboabona: Why I joined aspiring Dinamo Batumi | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
- ^ Oluwashina Okeleji (10 January 2013). "Nations Cup 2013: Nigeria pick six locally-based players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ "Nigeria to take new-look squad to Confederations Cup". BBC Sport. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Peter Odemwingie in provisional Nigeria squad". BBC Sport. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ^ Oluwashina Okeleji (24 June 2016). "Kelechi Iheanacho included in Nigeria's Olympics squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (13 February 2013). "Presidential reward for Super Eagles". Sport. BBC. Lagos. Retrieved 19 March 2024.