- David Obua
-
David Obua Personal information Date of birth 10 April 1984 Place of birth Kampala, Uganda Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) Playing position Midfielder Club information Current club Heart of Midlothian Number 13 Youth career 1999 Police FC Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2001–2002 Express FC 2002–2003 AS Port-Louis 2000 2003–2005 Express FC 48 (19) 2005–2008 Kaizer Chiefs 63 (8) 2008– Heart of Midlothian 83 (6) National team‡ 2003– Uganda 27 (14) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 October 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 July 2011David Obua (born 10 April 1984) is a Ugandan footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Hearts and the Uganda national team.
Having arrived at Hearts as a left wing-back, Obua has primarily been used as a left-sided midfield player, although he has also played a number of times as a striker.
Contents
Club career
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Obua played for a number of clubs in his native Uganda including Police FC. He also spent some time in Mauritius and in the United States, where he played for Raleigh and Wilmington Hammerheads whilst attending college.
Obua was spotted by Kaizer Chiefs while playing for the Uganda national team against South Africa and was offered a 3 year contract. Obua impressed during his time in South Africa, winning the championship and South African Player of the Year in season 2006–07.[1]
After expiry of his Kaizer Chiefs contract he was available on a free transfer in the summer of 2008. He landed a trial with Premier League club West Ham United,[2] before agreeing a deal with Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian.[3] On 6 August, it was revealed that Obua was granted a work permit and had signed for Hearts.
He found life in the SPL difficult in his first two seasons,[citation needed] although he has seen an improvement in his form since Jim Jefferies replaced his former national manager Csaba Laszlo. In the absence of a target man, Obua has often played in the unfamiliar role of striker. Obua scored the winner in an Edinburgh derby at Easter Road, home of arch rivals Hibernian. Obua was sent off at Hearts' home match against Celtic on the 11th May 2011 at an eventual 3-0 loss.[4] He scored the opening goal of the 2011-12 SPL season against Rangers at Ibrox with a header from a corner.[5]
International career
David Obua began playing for the Cranes during his time at Super League club Express FC. In September 2007, Obua scored a hat-trick for Uganda in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger which Uganda won 3–1.[citation needed] On October 10th, 2011, he vowed never to play for Uganda again, at least while president Lawrence Mulindwa and head coach Bobby Williamson were involved with the setup.[6]
Family
Obua is the son of the late Denis Obua, who played for Uganda in the 1978 African Cup of Nations. He also has a younger brother, Eric Obua who is a Cranes youth international.[7] His uncle John Akii-Bua became Uganda's first Olympic champion by winning the 400 metre hurdles in the world record time of 47.82 seconds at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.[8][9]
External links
- David Obua career stats at Soccerbase
- David Obua profile TransferMarkt
- David Obua - Career history National-football-teams.com
- [2]
References
- ^ David Obua - Player profile Heart of Midlothian FC, 4 March 2010
- ^ Out of Africa, Knees Up Mother Brown, 12 July 2008.
- ^ Obua agrees contract with Hearts, BBC Sport, 20 July 2008
- ^ Hibs 2-1 Hearts: Last gasp Obua goal seals victory, Scotsman Sport, 1 May 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_7234522,00.html Obua's Uganda threat - Vows never to play again
- ^ http://ugandaonline.net/red_pepper/view/8107/bebe_cool_s_ex_and_miss_uganda_feud/
- ^ "Hearts' New Signing Obua's Arrival Rekindles Family Tie". www.allafrica.com. http://allafrica.com/stories/200808220101.html. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ Obua, Denis. "John Akii-Bua is a forgotten sports hero". Uganda Observer. http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7858%3Ajohn-akii-bua-is-a-forgotten-sports-hero&catid=44%3Asports&Itemid=80. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
Heart of Midlothian F.C. – current squad 1 Balogh · 2 Hamill · 3 Grainger · 4 Jónsson · 5 Barr · 6 Webster · 7 Suso · 8 Black · 9 Kyle · 10 Elliott · 11 Driver · 12 Templeton · 13 Obua · 15 Sutton · 16 Stevenson · 17 McGowan · 18 Novikovas · 19 Skácel · 21 Taouil · 22 Smith · 23 Glen · 25 Kello · 26 Žaliūkas · 27 Robinson · 30 MacDonald · 31 Mrowiec · 34 Stewart · 49 McHattie · C. Thomson · Manager: Sérgio
Categories:- 1984 births
- Living people
- Ugandan footballers
- Uganda international footballers
- Ugandan expatriate footballers
- People from Kampala
- Association football defenders
- Association football midfielders
- Kaizer Chiefs F.C. players
- Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
- Scottish Premier League players
- Express FC players
- Expatriate footballers in Scotland
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
