Michael Obiku

Michael Obiku

Personal information
Full name	Michael Edirin Obiku
Date of birth	24 September 1968 (1968-09-24) (age 43)
Place of birth	Warri, Nigeria
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Sparta Rotterdam (Youth coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1986–1987	Flash Flamingoes	29	(13)
1987–1989	Iwuanyanwu Nationale	40	(28)
1989–1992	Anorthosis Famagusta	69	(33)
1992–1996	Feyenoord	71	(23)
1994	→ Helsingborg (loan)	14	(9)
1996–1997	Mallorca	26	(14)
1997–1998	Avispa Fukuoka	25	(9)
1998–1999	AZ	13	(2)
1999–2000	Anorthosis Famagusta	21	(14)
2000–2001	APOEL	0	(0)
Total		308	(145)
National team
1988–1993	Nigeria	4	(1)
1988	Nigeria Olympic	2	(0)
Teams managed
2007–	Sparta Rotterdam (youth)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Michael Edirin Obiku (born 24 September 1968 in Warri) is a retired Nigerian football striker. He is assistant coach at Sparta Rotterdam's youth team.

Club career

Obiku started his career with Flash Flamingoes in his native Nigeria and earned a move to highfliers Iwuanyanwu Nationale. From there, he moved on to become very successful in Cyprus. Then Feyenoord Rotterdam chairman Jorien van den Herik, who had a house on Cyprus, lured him to Rotterdam. On club level he won the Dutch Eredivisie in 1993 and the KNVB Cup in 1994, 1995 and 1996 with Feyenoord. He later became the first Nigerian to play in the J. League.In 1999–2000 he returned to Cyprus and to his favourite team Anorthosis Famagusta FC. He scored 13 goals and helped his club to win the Championship for the 4th time in a row in Cyprus. After so many years Obiku is still one of the legends of Anorthosis Famagusta FC and he is considered one of the all time best players who ever played not only for the club but also in Cyprus. The fans never forgot his first spell in the club in 1989–1992 scoring 36 goals and gave him the nick "Black Diamond".

Memorable moments

When Obiku scored for Feyenoord, he usually took off his shirt, threw it on the ground and danced around it.

During a match against Willem II he jumped in the fences surrounding the pitch and injured his hands while grabbing the barbed wire. He did play on but had to have treatment on his bleeding hands first.

On March 8, 1995 he won over the Rotterdam supporters when he scored the golden goal in the KNVB Cup quarter-finals against eternal rivals Ajax Amsterdam. Ajax won the Champions League that season but were finished off by Obiku thanks to a marvellous solo effort.

International career

He represented the Nigerian national team at the 1988 African Cup of Nations,^[1] played in two World Cup qualifying matches^[2] and played 12 minutes at the 1988 Summer Olympics.^[3] He played his final international match in April 1993 against Ethiopia.

Club career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Nigeria			League		Nigerian FA Cup		League Cup		Total
1986	Flash Flamingoes	Premier League	15	6					15	6
1987			14	7					14	7
1988	Iwuanyanwu Nationale	Premier League	5	4					5	4
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Taça da Liga		Total
1988/89	Marítimo	Portuguese Liga	0	0					0	0
Cyprus			League		Cypriot Cup		League Cup		Total
1989/90	Anorthosis Famagusta	First Division	24	6					24	6
1990/91			21	11					21	11
1991/92			24	16					24	16
Netherlands			League		KNVB Cup		League Cup		Total
1992/93	Feyenoord	Eredivisie	21	7					21	7
1993/94			16	3					16	3
Sweden			League		Svenska Cupen		League Cup		Total
1994	Helsingborg	Allsvenskan	14	9					14	9
Netherlands			League		KNVB Cup		League Cup		Total
1994/95	Feyenoord	Eredivisie	13	6					13	6
1995/96			18	7					18	7
1996/97			3	0					3	0
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Copa de la Liga		Total
1996/97	Mallorca	Segunda División	26	14					26	14
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J. League Cup		Total
1997	Avispa Fukuoka	J. League 1	15	7	3	1	0	0	18	8
1998			10	2	0	0	4	2	14	4
Netherlands			League		KNVB Cup		League Cup		Total
1998/99	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	13	2					13	2
Cyprus			League		Cypriot Cup		League Cup		Total
1999/00	Anorthosis Famagusta	First Division	21	14					21	14
Country	Nigeria		34	17					34	17
	Portugal		0	0					0	0
	Cyprus		90	47					90	47
	Netherlands		84	25					84	25
	Sweden		14	9					14	9
	Spain		26	14					26	14
	Japan		25	9	3	1	4	2	32	12
Total			273	121	3	1	4	2	280	124

National team statistics

Nigeria national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1988
1989
1990	0	0
1991	0	0
1992	0	0
1993	1	0
Total

External links

• Nigerian Players.com
• national-football-teams
• Michael Obiku (Seguimiento Bermellón) (Spanish)
• Real Mallorca bio (Spanish)

References

1. ^ 1988 MATCHES AFRICA - RSSSF
2. ^ FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - FIFA
3. ^ Men's Olympic Football Tournament - FIFA

Persondata
Name	Obiku, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 September 1968
Place of birth	Warri, Nigeria
Date of death
Place of death