Ikechukwu Ezenwa | Today's AI Wiki

1. Early Life and Background

Ikechukwu Ezenwa's early life and physical attributes laid the foundation for his career as a professional goalkeeper in Nigerian football.

1.1. Birth and Place of Birth

Ikechukwu Vincent Ezenwa was born on 16 October 1988, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

1.2. Physical Attributes

Ezenwa stands at 5.9 ft ^{(1.81 m)} tall and primarily played as a goalkeeper throughout his professional career.

Ikechukwu Ezenwa's professional club career was spent entirely within the Nigerian football league system, where he played for a succession of clubs, accumulating significant experience and contributing to various teams.

2.1. Club History

Ezenwa began his professional football career with Ocean Boys F.C., playing for the club from 2006 to 2008, where he made 56 appearances. In July 2008, he transferred to Heartland F.C., remaining there until 2011 and making 61 appearances.

From 2011 to 2014, Ezenwa played for Sharks F.C., appearing in 45 matches. He then moved to Sunshine Stars F.C., where he was active from 2014 to 2016, recording 38 appearances. During his tenure at Sunshine Stars, specifically between 2013 and 2016, his development was significantly influenced by coach Daramola Nicholas Akinsehinwa, a factor that contributed to Ezenwa's call-up to the Nigeria squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In 2016, Ezenwa joined Ifeanyi Ubah F.C., playing 28 matches before his contract concluded in 2017. Following this, he completed a move to Enyimba International F.C. in 2017. He made 4 appearances and scored 0 goals for Enyimba during his tenure from 2017 to 2019. On 1 January 2019, he signed with Katsina United F.C., where he played 11 matches until 2023. He also had a brief return to Heartland F.C. in 2019, though he made no appearances during that stint.

3. International Career

Ikechukwu Ezenwa's international career saw him represent Nigeria at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad, participating in major tournaments and qualification campaigns.

3.1. Youth Teams

In 2007, Ezenwa was a member of the Nigeria U-20 squad, making 3 appearances. The following year, in 2008, he was part of the Nigeria U-23 squad, featuring in one match during the qualifier games for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

3.2. Senior National Team

Ezenwa received his first call-up to the Nigeria Super Eagles in 2015 under the management of Coach Sunday Oliseh. Subsequently, following an injury to Nigeria's then first-choice goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, Ezenwa was called up by Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr to join the squad for the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches. He was notably given the number 1 jersey, effectively replacing Ikeme as the primary goalkeeper for the Super Eagles. Ezenwa demonstrated strong goalkeeping abilities during Nigeria's crucial back-to-back matches against the 'Indomitable Lions' of Cameroon in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

4. Major Tournaments

Ikechukwu Ezenwa participated in several significant international football tournaments, playing a role in Nigeria's campaigns on the global and continental stages.

4.1. Olympic Games

Ezenwa was a key member of the Nigeria U-23 team that competed in the men's football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team achieved a notable success, securing a silver medal in the competition.

4.2. FIFA World Cup

Ezenwa's development, particularly under coach Daramola Nicholas Akinsehinwa at Sunshine Stars, contributed to his inclusion in the Nigeria squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In May 2018, he was initially named in Nigeria's preliminary 30-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. He was later confirmed as part of the final squad for the tournament.

4.3. Africa Cup of Nations

Ezenwa received call-ups for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifications. He was also part of the squad that competed in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt. Nigeria performed strongly in the tournament, finishing third and earning a bronze medal.

5. Career Statistics

Ikechukwu Ezenwa's career statistics provide a comprehensive overview of his appearances and goals in both club and international football.

5.1. Club Statistics

Ezenwa's club career statistics are detailed in the table below:

Club	Years	Appearances
Ocean Boys F.C.	2006-2008	56
Heartland F.C.	2008-2011	61
Sharks F.C.	2011-2014	45
Sunshine Stars F.C.	2014-2016	38
Ifeanyi Ubah F.C.	2016-2017	28
Enyimba International F.C.	2017-2019	4
Heartland F.C.	2019	0
Katsina United F.C.	2019-2023	11

5.2. International Statistics

Statistics for Ikechukwu Ezenwa's senior international career with the Nigeria national team, accurate as of match played 30 June 2019:

Nigeria
Year	Appearances	Goals
2015	3	0
2016	3	0
2017	6	0
2018	7	0
2019	2	0
Total	21	0

6. Awards and Honors

Ikechukwu Ezenwa received the following accolades during his professional football career:

Olympic Games
- 2008 Beijing: Silver medal (Team)
Africa Cup of Nations
- 2019 Egypt: Bronze medal (Team)