Obiora Odita

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Obiora Odita

| image =

| full_name = Obiorah Emmanuel Odita

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|05|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Enugu, Nigeria

| height = 1.85 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Enugu Rangers

| years1 = 2002–2003

| clubs1 = Udoji United

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2003–2005

| clubs2 = Javor Ivanjica

| caps2 = 43

| goals2 = 16

| years3 = 2005–2007

| clubs3 = Partizan

| caps3 = 48

| goals3 = 16

| years4 = 2006

| clubs4 = → Javor Ivanjica (loan)

| caps4 = 12

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2007–2009

| clubs5 = Al Ain

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2008

| clubs6 = → Westerlo (loan)

| caps6 = 9

| goals6 = 2

| years7 = 2009–2010

| clubs7 = Westerlo

| caps7 = 28

| goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2010–2011

| clubs8 = Javor Ivanjica

| caps8 = 15

| goals8 = 2

| years9 = 2011

| clubs9 = Tianjin Teda

| caps9 = 8

| goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2011–2012

| clubs10 = Javor Ivanjica

| caps10 = 23

| goals10 = 9

| years11 = 2012–2013

| clubs11 = Taraz

| caps11 = 42

| goals11 = 11

| years12 = 2014–2016

| clubs12 = Voždovac

| caps12 = 53

| goals12 = 11

| years13 = 2016–2021

| clubs13 = Mladost Lučani

| caps13 = 142

| goals13 = 10

| years14 = 2021–2022

| clubs14 = Javor Ivanjica

| caps14 = 34

| goals14 = 7

| years15 = 2022–2023

| clubs15 = Železničar Pančevo

| caps15 = 4

| goals15 = 0

| years16 = 2023–

| clubs16 = FAP

| caps16 =

| goals16 =

| club-update = 21 February 2023

}}

Obiorah Emmanuel Odita {{IPAc-en|audio=Ig-Obiorah Emmanuel Odita.ogg}} (born 14 May 1983) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He also holds Serbian citizenship.{{Cite web | url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=14249 | title=Exclusive : FK Vozdovac Striker Obiora Odita Gets Serbian Passport | publisher=allnigeriasoccer.com | date=5 March 2015 | access-date=2 December 2018}}

Career

=Early years=

Born in Enugu, Odita started out at local club Enugu Rangers, before switching to Udoji United. He subsequently moved to Serbia and Montenegro and joined First League side Javor Ivanjica in the 2003 winter transfer window. Until the end of the 2002–03 season, Odita scored one goal in nine league appearances, as the club suffered relegation to the Second League. He stayed there until the 2005 winter transfer window.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

=Partizan=

In January 2005, Odita was officially transferred to Partizan, signing a four-year deal.{{Cite web | url=http://www.b92.net/sport/fudbal/vesti.php?yyyy=2005&mm=01&dd=05&nav_id=159261 | title=Odita potpisao za Partizan | language=sr | publisher=b92.net | date=5 January 2005 | access-date=24 October 2013}} He marked his competitive debut by scoring both of his team's goals in a 2–2 draw with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the first leg of the UEFA Cup round of 32.{{Cite web | url=https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=279051.html | title=Dnipro deny Odita glorious debut | publisher=UEFA | date=16 February 2005 | access-date=18 December 2018}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round, Odita scored a screamer to give Partizan a 1–0 win against Sheriff Tiraspol. In January 2006, Odita was sent on a six-month loan to Javor Ivanjica.{{Cite web | url=http://staraarhiva.partizan.rs/vest.php?Jezik=sr&IDV=77&akcija=show&prikaz1=2006&prikaz2=2&sec=2 | title=Bilans zimskog prelaznog roka | language=sr | publisher=partizan.rs | date=14 February 2006 | access-date=11 February 2013}} He then returned to Partizan and scored 10 league goals from 23 appearances in the 2006–07 season, while often partnering Stevan Jovetić. In June 2007, Odita moved to the United Arab Emirates and signed a two-year contract with Al Ain.{{Cite web | url=http://staraarhiva.partizan.rs/vest.php?Jezik=sr&IDV=325&akcija=show&prikaz1=2007&prikaz2=6&sec=2 | title=Odita prešao u Al Ain | language=sr | publisher=partizan.rs | date=7 June 2007 | access-date=11 February 2013}}

=Westerlo=

In January 2008, Odita was loaned to Belgian club Westerlo. He scored twice in the second half of the 2007–08 season, before returning to Al Ain. In January 2009, Odita moved back to Belgium and signed a permanent contract with Westerlo.{{Cite web | url=https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nl/nieuws/lees/2009-01-02/odita-is-opnieuw-een-speler-van-westerlo | title=Odita is opnieuw een speler van Westerlo | language=nl | publisher=voetbalkrant.com | date=2 January 2009 | access-date=18 December 2018}}

=Later years=

In the summer of 2010, Odita made a comeback to Serbia by signing with his former club Javor Ivanjica for the 2010–11 season.{{Cite web | url=http://www.sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/Domaci-fudbal/182294/Obiora-Odita-se-vratio-u-Javor | title=Obiora Odita se vratio u Javor | language=sr | publisher=blic.rs | date=30 July 2010 | access-date=24 October 2013}} He later moved to China and signed with Tianjin Teda in early 2011.

After two seasons with Taraz in Kazakhstan, Odita returned to Serbia once again and joined Voždovac in the summer of 2014.{{Cite web | url=http://sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/Domaci-fudbal/259607/Odita-ponovo-u-srpskom-fudbalu-potpisao-za-Vozdovac | title=Odita ponovo u srpskom fudbalu, potpisao za Voždovac | language=sr | publisher=blic.rs | date=16 September 2014 | access-date=3 May 2015}}

In June 2016, Odita switched to fellow Serbian club Mladost Lučani.{{Cite web | url=http://fkmladostlucani.com/index.php/component/k2/item/254-odita-pojacava-napad-mladosti.html | title=Odita pojačava napad Mladosti | language=sr | publisher=fkmladostlucani.com | date=17 June 2016 | access-date=19 May 2019}}

On 14 June 2021, it was announced that Odita has retired,{{Cite web | url=https://sportske.net/vest/domaci-fudbal/obiora-odita-zavrsio-karijeru-440799 | title=Obiora Odita završio karijeru | language=sr | publisher=sportske.net | date=14 June 2021 | access-date=23 August 2021}} only to be confirmed to have joined his former club Javor Ivanjica for the fifth time, four days later.{{Cite web | url=https://sportske.net/vest/domaci-fudbal/odita-se-vratio-iz-penzije-posle-cetiri-dana-javor-se-pojacao-441140 | title=Odita se vratio iz penzije posle četiri dana, Javor se pojačao! | language=sr | publisher=sportske.net | date=18 June 2021 | access-date=23 August 2021}}

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
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="4"\|Javor Ivanjica \|2002–03 \|9	1	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	9	1
2003–04 \|16	5	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	16	5
2004–05 \|18	10	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	19	10
Total !43	16	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	44	16
rowspan="4"\|Partizan \|2004–05 \|12	5	1	0	4	2	17	7
2005–06 \|13	1	2	1	6	2	21	4
2006–07 \|23	10	1	0	6	2	30	12
Total !48	16	4	1	16	6	68	23
Javor Ivanjica (loan) \|2005–06 \|12	5	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	12	5
rowspan="3"\|Al Ain \|2007–08 \|0	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	0	0
2008–09 \|0	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	0	0
Total !0	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	0	0
Westerlo (loan) \|2007–08 \|9	2	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	9	2
rowspan="3"\|Westerlo \|2008–09 \|14	3	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	14	3
2009–10 \|14	0	1	1	colspan="2"\|—	15	1
Total !28	3	1	1	colspan="2"\|—	29	4
Javor Ivanjica \|2010–11 \|15	2	1	1	colspan="2"\|—	16	3
Tianjin Teda \|2011 \|8	1	0	0	6	0	14	1
Javor Ivanjica \|2011–12 \|23	9	2	1	colspan="2"\|—	25	10
rowspan="3"\|Taraz \|2012 \|12	6	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	12	6
2013 \|30	5	4	0	colspan="2"\|—	34	5
Total !42	11	4	0	colspan="2"\|—	46	11
rowspan="3"\|Voždovac \|2014–15 \|21	5	3	0	colspan="2"\|—	24	5
2015–16 \|32	6	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	33	6
Total !53	11	4	0	colspan="2"\|—	57	11
rowspan="6"\|Mladost Lučani \|2016–17 \|30	4	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	31	4
2017–18 \|28	0	1	0	1	0	30	0
2018–19 \|25	3	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	27	3
2019–20 \|24	1	2	1	colspan="2"\|—	26	2
2020–21 \|35	2	1	1	colspan="2"\|—	36	3
Total !142	10	7	2	1	0	150	12
Javor Ivanjica \|2021–22 \|34	7	2	1	colspan="2"\|—	36	8
colspan="2"\|Career total !457	94	26	7	23	6	506	106