Uche Okafor

{{for|the Nigerian goalkeeper|Uche Okafor (footballer, born 1991)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Uche Okafor

| fullname = Uchenna Kizito Okafor

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1967|8|8|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Owerri, Nigeria

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2011|1|6|1967|8|8}}

| death_place = Little Elm, Texas, United States

| height = 1.90 m

| currentclub =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1986–1988

| years2 = 1988–1991

| years3 = 1991–1992

| years4 = 1992–1993

| years5 = 1993–1994

| years6 = 1994

| years7 = 1995

| years8 = 1995–1996

| years9 = 1996–2000

| clubs1 = ACB Lagos

| clubs2 = KRC Mechelen

| clubs3 = UR Namur

| clubs4 = Le Touquet AC

| clubs5 = Hannover 96

| clubs6 = União de Leiria

| clubs7 = Ironi Ashdod

| clubs8 = Farense

| clubs9 = Kansas City Wizards

| caps1 = ?

| caps2 = ?

| caps3 = ?

| caps4 = ?

| caps5 = 4

| caps6 = 0

| caps7 = 13

| caps8 = 0

| caps9 = 109

| goals1 = ?

| goals2 = ?

| goals3 = ?

| goals4 = ?

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 1988–1998

| nationalteam1 = Nigeria

| nationalcaps1 = 34

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Uchenna Kizito Okafor {{IPAc-en||audio=Ig-Uchenna Kizito Okafor.ogg}}, often shortened to Uche Okafor (8 August 1967 – 6 January 2011){{cite web|url=http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Sport/Football/5662107-147/uche_okafor_dies_in_the_us.csp|title=Uche Okafor dies in the US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110112801/http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Sport/Football/5662107-147/uche_okafor_dies_in_the_us.csp |archive-date=10 January 2011|author=Jide Alaka|date=7 January 2011|publisher=Timbuktu Media|access-date=25 November 2020|work=Next}} was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a defender. He made 34 international appearances for the Nigeria national team.

Club career

Okafor's club career took him to many countries{{cite web|url=http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Trialists|title=Trialists|work=The Celtic Wiki}} before he settled in the USA. Okafor was drafted to Kansas City Wizards in the ninth round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft, and played there for five seasons before retiring after the 2000 season.

International career

Okafor played every match when Nigeria won the 1994 African Cup of Nations, but sustained an ankle injury shortly thereafter. He was part of the squad to the 1994 World Cup but did not get any playing time. He played one out of their four games in the 1998 World Cup, though, as well as at the 1988 Olympics.

Post-playing career

Okafor coached for the Associated Soccer Group,{{cite web|url=http://www.asgfc.com/index.htm|title=Associated Soccer Group|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007073929/http://www.asgfc.com/index.htm |archive-date=7 October 2007|publisher=ASG Dallas Futbol Club}} a member of the North Texas Soccer Association. He was head coach for the 91 Gold Central boys team and the 93 HP Central boys team who play in the Plano Premier Select Soccer league.

Okafor was a regular pundit on African football on ESPN's coverage and their PressPass programme.

Death

Okafor's body was discovered by his wife in January 2011 shortly after he returned home from dropping off his daughter in school in their house in Little Elm, a town about 30 miles northwest of Dallas. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said that he hanged himself in an upstairs hallway. Okafor's family rejected the suicide ruling of the Little Elm Police Department, suspecting foul play.{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/nigerian-soccer-star-buried-in-africa-as-family-challenges-little-elm-pds-suicide-ruling-7140153|title=Nigerian Soccer Star Buried in Africa, As Family Challenges Little Elm PD's Suicide Ruling|work=Dallas Observer|date=11 March 2011|author=Alex Copeland|access-date=13 February 2020}}

Kent Babb, reporter for the Kansas City Star, published an in-depth analysis of Uche's death on 19 May 2012.{{cite news|title=Family of former soccer pro can't accept shame of suicide ruling|url=http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/the-full-90/article303287/Family-of-former-soccer-pro-can’t-accept-shame-of-suicide-ruling.html#storylink=misearch|access-date=24 April 2017|work=Kansas City Star|date=19 May 2012|author=Kent Babb}}

Honours

Kansas City Wizards

MLS All-Star, 1998{{Cite web |date=August 2, 1998 |title=1998 MLS All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/1998-mls-all-star-game-373141 |access-date=July 27, 2023 |work=MLSsoccer.com}}
MLS Cup: 2000
Supporters' Shield: 2000

References

External links

[http://www.nigerianplayers.com/player.asp?pID=137 Uche Okafor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313050750/http://nigerianplayers.com/player.asp?pid=137 |date=13 March 2016 }} Nigerian Players
{{NFT player|13870}}

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Category:1967 births

Category:2011 suicides

Category:2011 deaths

Category:Footballers from Owerri

Category:People from Little Elm, Texas