Samuel Okunowo

Samuel Okunowo

Personal information
Full name	Samuel Gbenga Okunowo
Date of birth	March 1, 1979 (1979-03-01) (age 32)
Place of birth	Ibadan, Nigeria
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Right back
Youth career
1993–1995	Kwara Bombers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995–1997	Shooting Stars
1998–2000	Barcelona	14	(0)
1999–2000	→ Benfica (loan)	9	(2)
2000–2001	Badajoz	0	(0)
2001–2003	Ionikos	0	(0)
2003–2004	Dinamo Bucureşti	2	(0)
2004–2005	KF Tirana	0	(0)
2005–2007	Metalurh Donetsk	2	(0)
2006–2007	→ Stal Alchevsk (loan)	11	(0)
2009	VB Sports	4	(0)
2009	Waltham Forest	0	(0)
National team
1999	Nigeria U20	5	(0)
1997–2000	Nigeria	8	(0)
2000	Nigeria Olympic	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 February 2010. † Appearances (Goals).

Samuel Gbenga Okunowo (born 1 March 1979 in Ibadan) is a Nigerian footballer who plays mainly as a right defender.

Injury affected the vast majority of his professional career, which was spent in eight different countries other than his own.

Club career

Okunowo signed with European powerhouse FC Barcelona at only 18. In 1998–99, he competed for starting spot in the main squad with Michael Reiziger, and managed 14 La Liga appearances (eight starts), in a final win for the Catalans.

However, Okunowo did not manage to remain with Barça, going on to serve two unassuming loans, with Portugal's S.L. Benfica and second division side CD Badajoz, and being released in June 2002. He went on to represent (without very little impact as well) teams in four different countries: Greece, Romania, Albania and Ukraine.

In 2007, Okunowo was on trial at Northwich Victoria of the Conference National and Vilanova del Camí in the Spanish amateur leagues, but nothing came of it. Two years later, he returned to active with VB Sports Club, in the Maldives. However, in October 2009, he joined English club Waltham Forest, playing in a league eight levels below the Premier League.

In February 2010, Okunowo underwent a trial with Polish first division side Odra Wodzislaw, in an attempt to return to topflight football,^[1] but nothing came of it. He has also tried out for Norwegian teams without luck.^[2]

International career

Okunowo represented Nigeria at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship (helping the hosts reach the quarterfinals), the 2000 African Cup of Nations and the 2000 Summer Olympics,^[3] gaining eight senior caps.

References

1. ^ Lewis blisko Odry, Everson czeka, Bruno Basto już nie; Futbol, 5 February 2010 (Polish)
2. ^ http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/artikkel.php?artid=10087559
3. ^ Samuel Okunowo – FIFA competition record

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• BDFutbol profile
• Samuel Okunowo at National-Football-Teams.com

Romanian football portal

Persondata
Name	Okunowo, Samuel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1 March 1979
Place of birth	Ibadan, Nigeria
Date of death
Place of death