Julius Aghahowa

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Julius Aghahowa (born 12 February 1982 in Benin City, Nigeria) is a football striker from Nigeria who currently plays for Wigan Athletic in the English Premier League as a striker.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Early career

Aghahowa began his career with the Police Machines, a local police team, and went on to Bendel Insurance FC. He signed for Danish lower division team Herning Fremad before the 1999 African Youth Championship, but Aghahowa performed so well there that he wanted to play for a bigger club. He ended up with the Tunisian champions, Espérance, when he procured a contract with the Tunisians which predated the Herning Fremad contract^[1].

[edit] Shakhtar Donetsk

In the middle of the 2000-01 season, Aghahowa transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk, which soon won the Ukrainian league championship. He is famous for his acrobatic goalscoring celebrations.

Aghahowa won the game for Shakhtar in the 2006 Ukrainian Championship against Dynamo Kyiv, heading the winner in extra-time and being named man of the match. His performance in the final has been widely seen as the "saving grace" of his career at Shakhtar, with his future at the club looking bleak earlier in the season.

After playing over six years for Shakhtar Donetsk, Aghahowa left for Wigan.

[edit] Wigan

His work permit was passed and on 30 January 2007 he signed for Wigan for an undisclosed fee,^[1] playing his first Premiership match for them against Portsmouth F.C. on February 3. ^[2]Aghahowa hasn't scored for Wigan in one and half years and in April 2008, he had talks with Turkish club Kayserispor but as of June 2008, this deal as yet to go through.

[edit] International career

Aghahowa has played 32 matches and scored 14 goals for the Nigerian national team, including their only goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He became Nigeria's top goalscorer at the 2002 African Nations Cup. He also played at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

[edit] References

• ^ Lars Bøgeskov, "Jyder snydt for supertalent", Politiken, August 27, 1999

[edit] External links

• Julius Aghahowa career stats at Soccerbase
• Nigerian Players
• Football Database
• Time for Aghahowa to stop blowing hot and cold

v • d • e Nigeria squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Shorunmu • 2 Yobo • 3 Babayaro • 4 Kanu • 5 Okoronkwo • 6 West • 7 Ikedia • 8 Adepoju • 9 Ogbeche • 10 Okocha • 11 Lawal • 12 Ejide • 13 Afolabi • 14 Udeze • 15 Justice • 16 Sodje • 17 Aghahowa • 18 Akwuegbu • 19 Ejiofor • 20 Obiorah • 21 Utaka • 22 Enyeama • 23 Opabunmi • Coach: Onigbinde

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