Ibezito Ogbonna

Ibe Zito Ogbonna
Personal information
Full name Ibe Zito Ogbonna
Date of birth (1983-03-27) 27 March 1983
Place of birth Sokoto, Nigeria
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Enugu Rangers
2000–2002 Nigerdock
2002–2003 Sharks
2003–2007 Hapoel Tel Aviv 117 (37)
2007–2008 CFR Cluj 2 (0)
2008–2009 Kaizer Chiefs 11 (4)
2009–2010 Apolonia Fier 6 (0)
2010–2011 EGS Gafsa 10 (2)
2011 Atyrau 11 (2)
2012 Vardar Skopje 12 (2)
2013–2014 Enyimba
2017–2018 Agudat Sport Ashdod
Total 169 (47)
International career
2006–2007 Nigeria U23
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 June 2018

Ibe Zito Ogbonna // ⓘ (born on 27 March 1983, in Sokoto, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian football player who lives in Ashdod, Israel.

Club career

Ogbonna was born on 27 March 1983, in Sokoto, Nigeria and began playing football in 1998 at Enugu Rangers.[1][2][3][4][5] Subsequently, he moved for two years to Nigerdock and then played one year for Sharks.[1][3][4][5]

In 2003, Ogbonna joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League, scoring 11 league goals in his first season.[1][2][3][4][5] He also made his debut in European competitions by playing in both legs of the 1–0 aggregate loss to Gaziantepspor in the first round of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup.[1][6] In the 2005–06 season, Ogbonna scored nine goals which helped Hapoel finish runner-up in the league and won the Israel State Cup.[1][7][8][9] In the following season he won another State Cup with the club.[1][7][8][9] Ogbonna also made eight appearances in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup campaign, as Hapoel got past Domžale and Glasgow Rangers, with him netting a goal against the first, reaching the group stage where he scored once in a 2–2 draw against Rapid București.[1][3][7][9][10]

In June 2007, Ogbonna was transferred to CFR Cluj in Romania, with coach Ioan Andone describing him:"Special force. He has to work on his physical training. He hits equally well with the left and the right".[2][11] Because of his physique he was compared to the boxer Mike Tyson.[2][12] He made his Liga I debut on 1 August when coach Andone sent him in the 86th minute to replace Eugen Trică in a 1–0 away win over Oțelul Galați.[1][13] His following appearance was when he replaced Emmanuel Culio in the 84th minute of a 2–2 draw against Politehnica Timișoara.[1][14] Afterwards he got injured and did not make any further appearances until the end of the season as CFR won The Double, marking the first trophies in the club's history..[1][15][16]

In the following years, Ogbonna played for clubs from various countries, first at South African Premiership side Kaizer Chiefs.[1][3][9][12][17] Subsequently, he went to Albanian club, Apolonia Fier and then signed for Tunisia's EGS Gafsa.[1][3][9] His next spell was at Atyrau in the Kazakhstan Premier League.[1][3][9] In the 2011–12 Macedonian First Football League season, he won the title with Vardar Skopje, contributing with two goals scored in 12 matches.[1][3][9]

Ogbonna relocated to Israel in 2017, ending his career at Agudat Sport Ashdod in the fourth league.[15]

International career

Ogbonna played for Nigeria under-23 during the 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers, but was not part of the squad that went to the final tournament.[3][9]

Personal life

Ogbonna was a fan of hip-hop music, appreciating artists such as 50 Cent, Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z.[2] One of his brothers was a footballer in Nigeria.[2] His favorite footballer was Zinedine Zidane, and he was a fan of AC Milan and Real Madrid.[2][4][5]

In May 2021, Ogbonna's apartment from Ashdod, where he was living with his wife and two daughters, was hit by a missile fired from Gaza.[3][7][8][9][18] He was hospitalized following minor injuries, saying:"I am extremely lucky to be alive after this rocket was fired and it's third time lucky for me after being involved in a car crash and a horrible robbery incident in Nigeria".[3][7][9][18]

Honours

Hapoel Tel Aviv

CFR Cluj

Vardar Skopje

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Ibezito Ogbonna at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Tyson" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ex-Nigerian youth star is 'lucky to be alive' after a rocket his home in Israel". Bbc.com. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Ibezito Ogbonna" (in Hebrew). One.co.il. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Ibezito Ogbonna". Nigerianplayers.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Ibe Zito Ogbonna. UEFA Cup 2003/2004". WorldFootball. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e "How I survived rocket attack in Israel -Ex-Nigerian footballer, Ogbonna". Punchng.com. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Retired Nigerian Sriker, Ibezito House In Israel Hit By A Rocket from Gaza - PHOTOS". Peacefmonline.com. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ex-Nigerian U-23 Star, Ogbonna, Escapes Death in Gaza Conflict". Thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Ibe Zito Ogbonna. UEFA Cup Qual. 2006/2007". WorldFootball. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
    "Ibe Zito Ogbonna. UEFA Cup 2006/2007". WorldFootball. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
    "Hapoel - Rapid 2 - 2. Puternici in ofensiva, slabi in defensiva" [Hapoel - Rapid 2 - 2. Strong in offense, weak in defense] (in Romanian). Jurnalul.ro. 3 November 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  11. ^ "Expertiza" [The expertise] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 30 June 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Big Interview with Ibe Zito Ogbonna". Kaizerchiefs.com. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Oțelul Galați 0-1 CFR Cluj". WorldFootball. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
    "Otelul Galati-CFR Cluj 0-1. Feroviarii castiga derbiul european" [Otelul Galati-CFR Cluj 0-1. The Railwaymen win the European derby] (in Romanian). Hotnews.ro. 1 August 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Tensiune si spectacol" [Tension and spectacle] (in Romanian). Evz.ro. 6 August 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  15. ^ a b "CFR 2008 Ce s-a intamplat cu cei care ii aduceau, acum 10 ani, primul titlu din istorie lui CFR Cluj" [CFR 2008 What happened to those who brought, 10 years ago, the first title in the history of CFR Cluj] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Ogbonna, pus pe liber de CFR" [Ogbonna, released by CFR] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Chiefs sign new striker". News24.com. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  18. ^ a b "Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Ibezito Ogbonna survives rocket strike in Israel". Snl24.com. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
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