Bartholomew Ogbeche

Bartholomew Ogbeche
Personal information
Full name Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche
Date of birth (1984-10-01) 1 October 1984
Place of birth Ogoja, Nigeria
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 NorthEast United
Number 10
Youth career
Lobi Stars
1999–2001 Paris Saint-Germain
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2005 Paris Saint-Germain 57 (6)
2004 → Bastia (loan) 15 (2)
2005 → Metz (loan) 12 (1)
2005–2006 Al-Jazira 16 (5)
2006–2007 Alavés 29 (5)
2007–2009 Valladolid 35 (3)
2009–2010 Cádiz 28 (9)
2010–2011 Kavala 20 (1)
2011–2012 Middlesbrough 17 (3)
2013 Xerez 8 (1)
2014–2016 Cambuur 57 (24)
2016–2018 Willem II 38 (12)
2018– NorthEast United 2 (1)
National team
2002–2004 Nigeria 11 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:57, 4 October 2018 (UTC)

Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Indian Super League club Northeast United FC as a forward.

Club career

Ogbeche was born in Ogoja. Still a youngster, he was signed by French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain FC, making his debuts with the main squad during the 2001–02 season. However, he failed to settle, also suffering a thigh injury[1] and serving two six-month loans, to fellow league sides SC Bastia and FC Metz; for the former, he netted in a 4–1 home win against Olympique de Marseille on 7 March 2004[2]– the Corsicans secured their top flight status, and he left PSG for good in June 2005.

After a brief time in the United Arab Emirates, Ogbeche moved to Spain, first with Deportivo Alavés in Segunda División. Although he posted good individual numbers, the Basque team failed to return to La Liga but he joined another club in the former tier, Real Valladolid, making his debut on 26 August 2007 in a 1–0 away success over RCD Espanyol (12 minutes played).[3]

In late August 2009, after two seasons of intermittent use, Ogbeche arranged a one-year deal with Andalusia's Cádiz CF, in the second level. He finished the campaign as team top scorer, but they finished in 19th position and were relegated.

After one year in Greece with Kavala FC, Ogbeche joined Football League Championship side Middlesbrough on 18 October 2011, signing until the end of the season.[4] He scored his first goal for his new club on 17 December, against Cardiff City in a 3–2 away win;[5] on 5 March 2012, he came on as a substitute towards the end of the home game against Barnsley, lobbing the ball over Luke Steele for the final 2–0.[6]

In January 2014, Ogbeche moved clubs and countries again, signing for SC Cambuur in the Netherlands after a very brief spell back in Spain with Xerez CD.[7] He scored once and provided an assist in his Eredivisie debut, helping to a 3–1 home win over SC Heerenveen.[8]

On 23 August 2018, he joined Indian Super League club NorthEast United FC.[9] He made his debut on 1 October, scoring a goal in a 2–2 draw against FC Goa.[10] He earned the nickname 'Big Man Bart' while in the club.

International career

A Nigeria international since 2002, aged 17, Ogbeche was picked for that year's FIFA World Cup, and appeared in two group stage matches in an eventual group stage exit.[11]

References

  1. ↑ PSG lose forward pair; UEFA, 12 November 2002
  2. ↑ PSG suffer Sochaux setback; UEFA, 8 March 2004
  3. ↑ Espanyol 0–1 Valladolid; ESPN Soccernet, 26 August 2007
  4. ↑ Middlesbrough sign Nigeria striker Bartholomew Ogbeche; BBC Sport, 18 October 2011
  5. ↑ Middlesbrough ended Cardiff's 11-match unbeaten run thanks to Faris Haroun's worthy winner at the City Stadium.; BBC Sport, 17 December 2011
  6. ↑ Goals from Bart Ogbeche and Seb Hines moved Middlesbrough up to fourth in the Championship table as Barnsley's woes on the road continued.; BBC Sport, 5 March 2012
  7. ↑ El Xerez ficha al nigeriano Ogbeche (Xerez sign Nigerian Ogbeche); Mundo Deportivo, 18 January 2013 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ Ogbeche scores on Cambuur debut; Kick Off, 27 January 2014
  9. ↑ "Ex-Willem II'er Ogbeche vertrekt naar India" [Ex-Willem II player Ogbeche leaves for India] (in Dutch). Brabants Dagblad. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "ISL: NorthEast United hit back to salvage a point after FC Goa's Coro stretches scoring run". Scroll. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  11. ↑ Bartholomew Ogbeche – FIFA competition record (archive)
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