Ifeanyi Emeghara

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ifeanyi Emeghara

| image =

| full_name = Ifeanyi Innocenti Emeghara

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|03|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria

| height = 1.73 m

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Ebedei

| years1 = 2003–2004

| clubs1 = Teleoptik

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2004–2005

| clubs2 = Partizan

| caps2 = 36

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2006–2007

| clubs3 = Politehnica Timișoara

| caps3 = 42

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2007–2011

| clubs4 = Steaua București

| caps4 = 42

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2011

| clubs5 = Steaua II București

| caps5 = 2

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2013

| clubs6 = Gabala

| caps6 = 4

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 126

| totalgoals = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2007–2008

| nationalteam1 = Nigeria

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Ifeanyi Innocenti Emeghara (born 24 March 1984) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was deployed equally on the left and the right flank.

Club career

=Partizan=

After failing to find a club in Italy, Emeghara arrived to Partizan for a trial in January 2003, accompanied by compatriot Oladipupo Martins.{{Cite web | url=http://staraarhiva.partizan.rs/vestidetar.php?Jezik=sr&IDV=410&akcija=show&prikaz1=2003&prikaz2=1&sec=2 | title=Stigli Nigerijci ! | language=sr | publisher=partizan.rs | date=11 January 2003 | access-date=30 July 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} They were both eventually assigned to affiliated club Teleoptik. After spending 18 months with the Optičari, Emeghara was promoted to the Partizan first team in June 2004, penning his first professional contract on a four-year deal.{{Cite web | url=http://staraarhiva.partizan.rs/vestidetar.php?Jezik=sr&IDV=1267&akcija=show&prikaz1=2004&prikaz2=6&sec=2 | title=Potpisao i Emeghara | language=sr | publisher=partizan.rs | date=26 June 2004 | access-date=30 July 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He was given the number 16 shirt,{{Cite web | url=https://www.b92.net/sport/fudbal/vesti.php?yyyy=2004&mm=08&dd=01&nav_id=147172 | title=Partizan: Simon Vukčević nosi broj 1 | language=sr | publisher=b92.net | date=1 August 2004 | access-date=30 July 2018}} previously worn by fellow countryman Taribo West.

In his first season with the Crno-beli, Emeghara established himself as the team's first-choice left-back, making 39 appearances in all competitions, as Partizan won the league title with an unbeaten record and reached the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup.{{Cite web | url=https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=302680.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730234418/https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=302680.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=30 July 2018 | title=Unbeaten Partizan take title | publisher=UEFA| date=17 May 2005 | access-date=30 July 2018}} In January 2006, Emeghara was transferred to Romanian club Politehnica Timișoara on a three-year deal.{{Cite web | url=http://staraarhiva.partizan.rs/vest.php?Jezik=sr&IDV=10&akcija=show&prikaz1=2006&prikaz2=1&sec=2 | title=Emeghara potpisao za Politehniku iz Temišvara | language=sr | publisher=partizan.rs | date=15 January 2006 | access-date=30 July 2018 | archive-date=3 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903041242/http://staraarhiva.partizan.rs/vest.php?Jezik=sr&IDV=10&akcija=show&prikaz1=2006&prikaz2=1&sec=2 | url-status=dead }}

=Steaua București=

In June 2007, Emeghara moved to Steaua București for a reported transfer fee of €1.2 million.{{Cite web | url=https://www.9am.ro/stiri-revista-presei/Sport/64200/Emeghara-va-juca-cinci-ani-la-Steaua.html | title=Emeghara va juca cinci ani la Steaua | language=ro | publisher=9am.ro | date=11 June 2007 | access-date=30 July 2018}} His time with the Roș-albaștrii was plagued with injuries, particularly to his knees, causing him to make only 58 competitive appearances over the course of five seasons. In February 2013, after being out of contract for a year, Emeghara signed with Azerbaijani side Gabala.{{Cite web | url=http://gabalafc.az/eng/news/short-update-to-senior-team-staff-photos-525 | title=Short update to senior team staff - Photos | publisher=gabalafc.az | date=3 February 2013 | access-date=30 July 2018}}

International career

Emeghara made his international debut for Nigeria on 17 November 2007, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 friendly loss against Australia. He was named in Berti Vogts' 23-man squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations,{{Cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/7182109.stm | title=Nigeria name strong squad | publisher=bbc.co.uk | date=10 January 2008 | access-date=30 July 2018}} remaining an unused substitute during the tournament.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="2"\|League !colspan="2"\|Cup !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{RomanianSoccer\|681/ifeanyi-innocenti-emeghara}}
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="3"\|Partizan \|2004–05 \|24	0	4	0	11	0	39	0
2005–06 \|12	0	1	0	4	0	17	0
Total !36	0	5	0	15	0	56	0
rowspan="3"\|Politehnica Timișoara \|2005–06 \|14	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	14	0
2006–07 \|28	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|—	31	0
Total !42	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|—	45	0
rowspan="6"\|Steaua București \|2007–08 \|12	0	2	0	5	0	19	0
2008–09 \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2009–10 \|11	0	0	0	1	0	12	0
2010–11 \|11	0	2	0	3	0	16	0
2011–12 \|8	0	1	0	2	0	11	0
Total !42	0	5	0	11	0	58	0
Steaua II București \|2010–11 \|2	0	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	2	0
Gabala \|2012–13 \|4	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	4	0
colspan="2"\|Career total !126	0	13	0	26	0	165	0