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Julius Aghahowa

{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 1982)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Julius Aghahowa

|fullname = Julius Efosa Aghahowa

|image = Julius Aghahowa.jpeg

|caption = Aghahowa with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|2|12|df=y}}

|birth_place = Benin City, Nigeria

|height = 1.79 m

|position = Striker

|currentclub =

|youthyears1 =

|youthyears2 =

|youthclubs1 = Police Machines

|youthclubs2 = Bendel Insurance

|years1 = 1998–1999

|clubs1 = Bendel Insurance

|years2 = 1999–2000

|clubs2 = Espérance

|years3 = 2000–2007

|clubs3 = Shakhtar Donetsk

|caps3 = 89

|goals3 = 32

|years4 = 2001

|clubs4 = → Shakhtar-2 Donetsk

|caps4 = 3

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 2007–2008

|clubs5 = Wigan Athletic

|caps5 = 20

|goals5 = 0

|years6 = 2008–2009

|clubs6 = Kayserispor

|caps6 = 29

|goals6 = 6

|years7 = 2009–2012

|clubs7 = Shakhtar Donetsk

|caps7 = 10

|goals7 = 1

|years8 = 2010–2011

|clubs8 = → Sevastopol (loan)

|caps8 = 10

|goals8 = 1

|totalcaps = 161

|totalgoals = 40

|nationalyears1 = 2000–2007

|nationalteam1 = Nigeria

|nationalcaps1 = 32

|nationalgoals1 = 14

|nationalyears2 = 2000

|nationalteam2 = Nigeria Olympic

|nationalcaps2 = 4

|nationalgoals2 = 1

}}

Julius Efosa Aghahowa (born 12 February 1982) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Aghahowa played in Ukraine, England and Turkey during his career. Known for his pace and acrobatic goal celebrations, he performed six consecutive backflips after scoring a goal against Sweden at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.{{cite news |title=Bravo Bernardo, from duffer to dubber |first=Simon |last=Hattenstone |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/nov/22/comment.gdnsport3 |access-date=9 October 2018 |work=The Guardian}}

Club career

=Early career=

Born in Benin City, Aghahowa began his career with the Police Machines, a local police team, and went on to Bendel Insurance. He signed for Danish lower division team Herning Fremad before the 1999 African Youth Championship, but performed so well there that he wanted to play for a bigger club. He ended up with the Tunisian champions, Espérance, when he procured a contract with the Tunisians which predated the Herning Fremad contract.Lars Bøgeskov, "Jyder snydt for supertalent", Politiken, 27 August 1999.

=Shakhtar Donetsk=

In the middle of the 2000–01 season, Aghahowa transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk, who soon won the Ukrainian league championship. Aghahowa won the game for Shakhtar in the 2006 Ukrainian Championship against Dynamo Kyiv, heading the winner in extra-time, and was named man of the match. His performance in the final has been widely seen as the "saving grace" of his career at Shakhtar, with his future at the club looking bleak earlier in the season. After playing over six years for Shakhtar Donetsk, Aghahowa left for Wigan Athletic.

=Wigan Athletic=

His work permit was passed and on 30 January 2007, he signed for Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee,{{cite web|title = Aghahowa close to Wigan deal|url = http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1809_1880189,00.html|publisher = TeamTALK|date = 29 January 2007|access-date = 29 January 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070218141609/http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1809_1880189,00.html|archive-date = 18 February 2007|url-status = dead|df = dmy-all

}} playing his first Premiership match for them against Portsmouth on 3 February.{{cite web|title=Tactical Formation|work=Football-Lineups.com

|url=http://www.football-lineups.com/wiki/_match3686.php | access-date=8 February 2007}} Aghahowa did not score for Wigan in one and a half years and on 20 June 2008, he signed for Kayserispor.{{cite web | title = Striker Aghahowa makes Wigan exit | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/7465399.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 20 June 2008| access-date = 20 June 2007}}

=Return to Shakhtar Donetsk=

On 4 July 2009, Shakhtar Donetsk signed Aghahowa on a free transfer after he was released by Kayserispor. He had already played for Shakhtar from 2000 to 2007[http://shakhtar.com/en/news/9963 Julius Aghahowa came back to Shakhtar] and declared a great desire to play for his old club. However, he could not find himself as a regular starter and was loaned out to Sevastopol at the beginning of the 2010–11 season. He was released at the end of the 2011–12 season, announcing his retirement from the game in April 2013.{{cite web|script-title=uk:Агахова объявил о завершении карьеры|url=http://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/high/516a4e4f.html|website=www.ua-football.com|publisher=ua-football|access-date=20 October 2014|language=uk|date=14 April 2013}}

International career

Although he played for the U-20 team at the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999, Aghahowa had never played for the Senior side prior and was a surprise inclusion for the 2000 African Nations Cup co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria. He had a fairytale introduction to International Football scoring on his debut barely 35 minutes upon coming on as a substitute for a misfiring Benedict Akwuegbu and producing the now iconic backflip goal celebration for the first time. {{cite web | url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/feb/03/newsstory.sport5 | title=Nigeria 2 - 0 Morocco | work=The Guardian | date=3 February 2000 }} Aghahowa played 32 matches and scored 14 goals for the Nigeria national team, including their only goal at the 2002 World Cup against Sweden. He became Nigeria's top goalscorer at the 2002 African Nations Cup. He also played at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Career statistics

=Club=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|National cup

!colspan="2"|League cup

!colspan="2"|Continental

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

!rowspan="2"|{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan="8"|Shakhtar Donetsk

|2000–01

|rowspan="7"|Vyshcha Liha

|8

721colspan="2"|–00colspan="2"|–108

|

2001–02

|17

721colspan="2"|–62colspan="2"|–2510

|

2002–03

|10

141colspan="2"|–31colspan="2"|–173

|

2003–04

|17

662colspan="2"|–42colspan="2"|–2710

|

2004–05

|15

853colspan="2"|–135colspan="2"|–3316

|

2005–06

|13

021colspan="2"|–50colspan="2"|–201

|

2006–07

|9

310colspan="2"|–701{{efn|One appearance in Ukrainian Super Cup}}0183

|

colspan="2"|Total

!89

322290038101015051

!–

rowspan="3"|Wigan Athletic

|2006–07

|rowspan="2"|Premier League

|6

00000colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–60

|{{Soccerway|5203|accessdate=26 July 2017}}

2007–08

|14

00000colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–140

|

colspan="2"|Total

!20

000000000200

!–

Kayserispor

|2008–09

|Süper Lig

|29

640colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–10346

|

rowspan="4"|Shakhtar Donetsk

|2009–10

|rowspan="3"|Ukrainian Premier League

|9

130colspan="2"|–501{{efn|One appearance in UEFA Super Cup}}0181

|

2010–11

|1

000colspan="2"|–000010

|

2011–12

|0

000colspan="2"|–000000

|

colspan="2"|Total

!10

130005010191

!–

Sevastopol (loan)

|2010–11

|Ukrainian Premier League

|10

100colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–101

|

colspan="3"|Career total

!158

402990043103023359

!–

{{notelist}}

=International=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{NFT player|4824|name=Julius Aghahowa|accessdate=26 July 2017}}

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="8"|Nigeria

|2000

43
200152
2002127
200300
200451
200521
200630
200710
colspan="2"|Total3214

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National teamYearAppsGoals
Nigeria Olympic

|2000

41
colspan="2"|Total

!4

1

:Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Aghahowa goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Julius Aghahowa

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

style="text-align:center"|1

|{{dts|3 February 2000}}

|National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria

|{{fb|Morocco}}

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|2000 African Cup of Nations

|{{cite web|title=Nigeria vs. Morocco|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16618/Nigeria_Morocco.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|2

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|7 February 2000}}

|rowspan="2"|National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Senegal}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–1

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–1

|rowspan="2"|2000 African Cup of Nations

|rowspan="2"|{{cite web|title=Nigeria vs. Senegal|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16623/Nigeria_Senegal.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|3

|style="text-align:center"|2–1

style="text-align:center"|4

|{{dts|1 July 2001}}

|Al-Merrikh Stadium, Omdurman, Sudan

|{{fb|Sudan}}

|style="text-align:center"|3–0

|style="text-align:center"|4–0

|2002 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Sudan vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/20972/Sudan_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|5

|{{dts|7 October 2001}}

|St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, England

|{{fb|Japan}}

|style="text-align:center"|2–2

|style="text-align:center"|2–2

|Friendly

|{{cite web|title=Nigeria vs. Japan|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/20960/Nigeria_Japan.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|6

|{{dts|21 January 2002}}

|Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali

|{{fb|Algeria}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|2002 African Cup of Nations

|{{cite web|title=Algeria vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16565/Algeria_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|7

|{{dts|28 January 2002}}

|Stade Baréma Bocoum, Mopti, Mali

|{{fb|Liberia}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|2002 African Cup of Nations

|{{cite web|title=Liberia vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16568/Liberia_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|8

|{{dts|7 February 2002}}

|Stade Amary Daou, Ségou, Mali

|{{fb|Senegal}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–1

|style="text-align:center"|1–2

|2002 African Cup of Nations

|{{cite web|title=Nigeria vs. Senegal|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16592/Nigeria_Senegal.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|9

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|14 April 2002}}

|rowspan="2"|Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Scotland}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–1

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–1

|rowspan="2"|Friendly

|rowspan="2"|{{cite web|title=Scotland vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/19830/Scotland_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|10

|style="text-align:center"|2–1

style="text-align:center"|11

|{{dts|16 May 2002}}

|Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

|{{fb|Republic of Ireland}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center"|2–1

|Friendly

|{{cite web|title=Ireland vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/19831/Ireland_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|12

|{{dts|7 June 2002}}

|Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan

|{{fb|Sweden}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center"|1–2

|2002 FIFA World Cup

|{{cite web|title=Sweden vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/12550/Sweden_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|13

|{{dts|5 September 2004}}

|National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe

|{{fb|Zimbabwe}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center"|3–0

|2006 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Zimbabwe vs. Nigeria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/340/Zimbabwe_Nigeria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

style="text-align:center"|14

|{{dts|26 March 2005}}

|Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

|{{fb|Gabon}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|2006 FIFA World Cup qualification

|{{cite web|title=Nigeria vs. Gabon|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/345/Nigeria_Gabon.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=24 July 2024}}

:Scores and results list Nigeria Olympic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Aghahowa goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Julius Aghahowa

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

style="text-align:center"|1

|{{dts|16 September 2000}}

|Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia

|{{fbu|23|Australia}}

|style="text-align:center"|2–0

|style="text-align:center"|3–2

|2000 Summer Olympics

|{{cite web|title=Games of the XXVII. Olympiad|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol2000f.html|website=The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=24 July 2024}}

Honours

Espérance

Shakhtar Donetsk

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Soccerbase}}
  • [http://www.nigerianplayers.com/player.asp?pID=102 Nigerian Players]
  • [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/01/28/time_for_aghahowa_to_stop_blow.html Time for Aghahowa to stop blowing hot and cold]
  • {{FFU}}

{{2002 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament}}

{{Africa Cup of Nations top scorers}}

{{Navboxes

|title=Nigeria Squads

| bg = #008751

| fg = White

|bordercolor=

|list1=

{{Nigeria squad 2000 African Cup of Nations}}

{{Nigeria men's football squad 2000 Summer Olympics}}

{{Nigeria squad 2002 African Cup of Nations}}

{{Nigeria squad 2002 FIFA World Cup}}

{{Nigeria squad 2004 African Cup of Nations}}

{{Nigeria squad 2006 Africa Cup of Nations}}

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aghahowa, Julius}}

Category:Living people

Category:1982 births

Category:Footballers from Benin City

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Nigerian men's footballers

Category:Nigeria men's international footballers

Category:Nigeria men's under-20 international footballers

Category:Bendel Insurance F.C. players

Category:Espérance Sportive de Tunis players

Category:FC Shakhtar Donetsk players

Category:FC Shakhtar-2 Donetsk players

Category:Wigan Athletic F.C. players

Category:Kayserispor footballers

Category:FC Sevastopol players

Category:Ukrainian Premier League players

Category:Ukrainian First League players

Category:Premier League players

Category:Süper Lig players

Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Tunisia

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Ukraine

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey

Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Ukraine

Category:Olympic footballers for Nigeria

Category:Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players

Category:2000 African Cup of Nations players

Category:2002 African Cup of Nations players

Category:2004 African Cup of Nations players

Category:2006 Africa Cup of Nations players

Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen