Chinedu Ogbuke "Edu" Obasi (born 1 June 1986) is a Nigerian former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
*Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Smal ...
.
Club career
Lyn

Born in
Enugu
Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...
, Nigeria, Obasi started his football career at River Lane Youth Club Enugu and JC Raiders in his homeland country. Obasi went to Norway at the same time as his countryman
Mikel John Obi
Mikel John Obi (born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna; 22 April 1987), also known as John Obi Mikel, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before ...
; both players joined
Lyn
Lyn or LYN may refer to:
People
* Lyn (singer), South Korean singer
* Lyn (gamer), South Korean ''Warcraft III'' player
* Lyn (given name)
* Lyn (surname)
In science and technology
* Lynx (constellation), standard abbreviation
* Lyn (locomotive ...
. It was disputed that Obasi signed for Lyn in 2004, but this was rejected by FIFA which ordered both Obasi and
Ezekiel Bala returned to Lyn with immediate effect.
Obasi made his Lyn debut, in the opening game of the season, where he played 66 minutes, in a 1–1 draw against
Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipal ...
. However, Obasi struggled to regain a place in the first team and it wasn't until on 25 September 2005 when he scored his first Lyn goal, in a 1–0 win over
Brann. Despite this, Obasi made five appearances in his first season.
In the 2006 season, Obasi didn't play for the side at the start of the season due to an ongoing dispute with his own club. On 2 July 2006, he made his first appearance of the season in a 2–1 win over Fredrikstad. Obasi then scored his first goal for the club on 6 August 2006, in a 2–0 win over
Molde
Molde () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the seat of Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Pen ...
, followed up by scoring twice in the next game, with a 3–2 loss against
Stabæk. Despite suffering from injuries during the season, Obasi finished his second season making fifteen appearances and scoring eight times in all competitions. For his performance, Obasi was named
Young Player of the Year
Young may refer to:
* Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents
* Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood
Music
* The Young, an America ...
.
On 20 December 2006, a transfer deal was announced with Russian side
Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow (, ) is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three occasions; the Soviet Cup twice; and the Russian Cup (football), Russian Cup a record ...
, and Obasi was set to move to the Russian side in January. The deal was derailed, however, when the president, sporting director and manager of Lokomotiv were all fired six days later. Several days after he trained with
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, Obasi signed a contract with Lyn, keeping him until 2008. By the time of his departure from Lyn, Obasi had made eleven appearances and five goals in all competitions.
Throughout his Lyn career, Obasi was linked with moves to European clubs, such as
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
,
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
,
Chelsea,
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. Despite pleads from then Manager
Henning Berg
Henning Stille Berg (; born 1 September 1969) is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Omonia.
His career lasted from 1988 to 2004, most notably in the Premier League where he won titles with both Black ...
, the club expected to see Obasi leave the club in the summer, as German side 1899 Hoffenheim closed on signing him.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
On 27 August 2007, Obasi moved to
2. Bundesliga side
Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim () is a village in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It belongs to the municipality of Sinsheim and, as of 2020, it has a population of 3,191.
History
The village, settled since prehistoric times, and first mentioned ...
for an undisclosed fee.
Obasi quickly made an impact for Hoffenheim when he scored twice on his debut despite losing 3–2 against
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
. After missing the next game, Obasi returned to the first team, where he set up one of the goals, in a 2–0 win over
Paderborn
Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...
. After returning, Obasi continued to appear in the first team and scored five times in five months. In a match against Paderborn on 9 March 2008, which saw Hoffenheim win 1–0, Obasi was sent-off in the 54th minute when he was involved in an incident with opposition midfielder
Erwin Koen. After the match, Obasi claimed that Koen racially abused him, which led to his sending off, a claim Koen denied and even thought about taking legal action against Obasi. In the end, the DFB's control committee decided against taking action against Koen, citing lack of evidence and Obasi served a three match suspension. Following his return from suspension, Obasi scored four more goals later in the season and helped the club reach promotion to Bundesliga for the first time. Obasi finished his first season at the club, making thirty appearances and scoring twelve times in all competitions. This made him the club's joint top-scorer in the league, along with
Demba Ba
Demba Ba (born 25 May 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He serves as the chairman of National Independent Soccer Association side Albion San Diego.
He made his first-team debut with French team Rouen in 2005 b ...
.
Ahead of the 2008–09 season, Obasi was linked with a move to England, but eventually stayed at the club throughout the summer. However, at the start of the season, Obasi missed out several matches, due to injury and international commitment. Obasi made his first appearance of the season on 13 September 2008 against
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
, where he played 30 minutes, in a 0–0 draw. Despite suffering from injury in training soon after, Obasi then scored his first goal of the season in a 5–2 win over
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96 (), is a German professional association football, football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony. They played in the Bundesliga for a total of 30 years between 19 ...
on 18 October 2008, followed up by scoring twice, in a 3–0 win over
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
in the next game. Throughout the 2008–09 season, Obasi suffered a setback when he was plagued by injuries. Nevertheless, Obasi finished the season, making twenty–six appearances and scoring six times in all competitions.
In the 2009–10 season, Obasi started well when he scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–0 win over
Oberneuland in the first round of
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal (), also known as the German Cup in English language, English, is a German knockout Association football, football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competiti ...
, followed up by scoring in a 1–1 draw against
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
in the opening game of the season. After being sidelined with an injury, Obasi scored on his return on 1 November 2009, in a 4–0 win over
Köln
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
. However, as the 2009–10 season progressed, Obasi was kept out from the first team, due to international commitment and injury. Eventually, he made his return to the first team and then scored twice on 25 April 2010, in a 5–1 win over
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. He went on to finish the 2009–10 season, making twenty–six appearances and scoring eight times in all competitions.
However, at the start of the 2010–11 season, Obasi was sidelined for about eight weeks with a shin injury. It wasn't until on 17 October 2010, when Obasi returned to the first team, coming on as a late substitute, in a 3–2 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. After appearing in three more matches, Obasi, once again, suffered a knee injury that kept him out for three months. After months on the sideline, Obasi returned to the first team in the last game of the season, as a late substitute, in a 3–1 loss against Wolfsburg. Following this, Obasi went on to make six appearances in all competitions.
In the 2011–12 season, Obasi regained his first team place at Hoffenheim following his injury plagued last season. In a match against Stuttgart, which saw them lose 2–0 on 18 October 2011, Obasi was substituted in the second half and when he left the pitch, he refused to shake
Holger Stanislawski
Holger Stanislawski (born 26 September 1969) is a German football manager and former player.
Managerial career
FC St. Pauli
Stanislawski became interim manager of FC St. Pauli on 22 November 2006 after Andreas Bergmann was sacked by the club. ...
's hand and was fined as a result. Seven days later, on 25 October 2011, Obasi scored his first goal of the season, in the second round of
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal (), also known as the German Cup in English language, English, is a German knockout Association football, football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competiti ...
, in a 2–1 win over Köln. Obasi continued to remain in the first team for the club until he was dropped from the squad ahead of a match against Hamburg for disobeying orders and a week later when he was late for training. Following this, Obasi announced his desire to leave the club, when his first team opportunities became more limited.
Schalke 04
On 23 December 2011, it was confirmed that Obasi was going on
loan
In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money.
The document evidencing the deb ...
to
Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as Schalke 04 (), and abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional sports club from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its football team, w ...
until the end of the 2011–12 season. Prior to a match against his former club, Hoffenheim, Obasi said that the club would remain in his heart and that he considered it as his second home.
Obasi made his Schalke 04 debut when he played for 75 minutes in a 3–1 win over Stuttgart on 21 January 2012. Two weeks later, on 4 February 2012, Obasi scored his first goal for the club, in a 1–1 draw against
Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sport-Verein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05 or simply Mainz 05 (), is a German professional sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top tie ...
. As the season progressed, Obasi continued to remain in the first team despite being sidelined with injuries. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Obasi made ten appearances and scored once for the side whilst on loan.
On 2 July 2012, Schalke 04 confirmed that Obasi signed a three-year professional contract with them until 30 June 2015.
The transfer fee was reported as €4,000,000 to €5,000,000 by Schalke's sport and communications manager
Horst Heldt
Horst Heldt (born 9 December 1969) is a German football executive and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the former general manager of 1. FC Köln.
Playing career
Heldt was born in Königswinter. He played at 1. FC Köln from 1990 ...
.
Obasi was assigned a number 19 shirt.
However, at the start of the season, Obasi suffered a setback when he continued to recover from his injury. After returning to training, Obasi then made his first appearance since joining them on a permanent basis in a 2–2 draw against
Fortuna Düsseldorf
Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a Football in Germany, German football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, that competes in the 2. Bundesliga.
Founded in 1895, Fo ...
on 28 September 2012. However, Obasi continued to be plagued by injuries and was on the substitute bench for most of the season. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Obasi had made only seven appearances for the club.
In the 2013–14 season, Obasi continued to recover from injury at the start of the season. After returning to training around November, Obasi did not make a return to the first team until the following month, where he played 20 minutes, in a 0–0 draw against
Nürnberg
Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the largest city in Franconia, the second-largest city in the German state of Bavaria, and its 544,414 (2023) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest city in Germany. ...
. Despite suffering from another injury, Obasi scored his first goal in two years in a 4–0 against his former club, Hoffenheim, on 8 March 2014. After the match, Obasi said scoring a goal motivated him after missing out a long time. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Obasi had made nineteen appearances and scored three times in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Obasi was then reassigned a number 20 shirt for his last season with Schalke 04. He remained in the first team at the start of the season and then scored his first goal of the season, in a European match, in a 4–3 win over
Sporting Lisbon
Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries, on 21 October 2014. There were hints of getting a new contract, but Obasi suffered a shinbone injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Obasi was released by the club after his contract expired and had made ten appearances and one goal in all competitions.
First spell at AIK
On 23 October 2015, Obasi was handed a trial by
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
. However, the club decided against signing him following the trial, citing his fitness concerns. Afterwards, Obasi went on trial at
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German footb ...
. The club eventually decided against signing Obasi over his fitness concerns.
On 4 August 2016, Obasi signed a short-term contract with
AIK Three days later, on 7 August 2016, Obasi made his AIK debut, where he started and played the whole game, in a 2–0 loss against
Malmö
Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...
. Two weeks later, on 21 August 2016, Obasi scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–0 win over
Örebro
Örebro ( ; ) is the seventh-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Örebro Municipality, and capital of Örebro County. It is situated by the Närke Plain, near the lake Hjälmaren, a few kilometers inland along the small river Svartån, and ...
.
After making ten appearances and scoring six times, Obasi helped the club finish in second place in the league and for his performance, Obasi was offered a new contract by the club when his contract expired at the end of the season. However, a month later, Obasi rejected a new contract from AIK in favour of a move to China.
Shenzhen
At the end of the season, Obasi moved abroad again when he was recruited by
China League One
The Chinese Football League 1 (), also known as China League One or Chinese Jia League (), is the second level of professional football in China, under the Chinese Super League. The league is under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association ...
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...
on 4 February 2017, signing a one-year contract and joining manager
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson (; 5 February 1948 – 26 August 2024) was a Swedish association football, football player and Coach (sport), manager.
After a playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management ...
.
Second spell at AIK
On 26 July 2017, AIK announced they had signed Obasi. He joined the squad on 1 August and was under contract the remainder of the 2017 season.
Bolton Wanderers
On 3 March 2018, Obasi moved to English club
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
following a successful trial spell. On 24 May 2018, Bolton confirmed that Obasi would leave the club on 30 June when his contract came to an end. He played no matches for Bolton due to lacking match fitness, never becoming fit enough to play for the team.
Elfsborg
On 12 August 2018, Obasi signed with
IF Elfsborg
Idrottsföreningen Elfsborg, more commonly known as IF Elfsborg or simply Elfsborg (), is a professional association football, football club based in Borås, Sweden, and is affiliated to the Västergötlands Fotbollförbund. They play in the Alls ...
in Allsvenskan, Sweden's first tier, for the remainder of the season.
Third spell at AIK
On 21 January 2019 it was announced that Obasi had signed a one-year deal with AIK, his third spell at the Stockholm club.
International career
Norway naturalization persuasion
Obasi was offered the chance to represent the
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team (, or informally ''Landslaget'') represents Norway in men's international Association football, football, and is controlled by the Norwegian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Norway. Norwa ...
during his club career in Norway and Obasi stated that: "I don't regret dumping Norway to play for Nigeria, back then at
Lyn Oslo
Lyn 1896 Fotballklubb () is a Norwegian football club and a department of the sports club Ski- og Fotballklubben Lyn based in Oslo, whose members also participate in Nordic skiing and orienteering. Until 2010, SFK Lyn had two football departm ...
with
Mikel John Obi
Mikel John Obi (born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna; 22 April 1987), also known as John Obi Mikel, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before ...
, I was encouraged to
naturalize
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
to receive a
Norwegian passport
A Norwegian passport (, ) is the passport issued to nationals of Norway for the purpose of international travel. Beside serving as proof of Norwegian citizenship, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from List of diplomatic missions ...
and become a
Norwegian, the
Football Association of Norway
The Norwegian Football Federation (, ; NFF) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Norway. It was formed in 1902 and organises the Norway national football team, men's and Norway women's national football team, women's national te ...
wanted me to play for the
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team (, or informally ''Landslaget'') represents Norway in men's international Association football, football, and is controlled by the Norwegian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Norway. Norwa ...
at that time and I must confess I gave it a thought for a long time, I had already played for Nigeria in one of their friendly matches which was one of the deciding factors in my final choice, I love Nigeria and I was well received by the senior players in ''Super Eagles'', I had to walk up to them in Norway's
Football Association of Norway
The Norwegian Football Federation (, ; NFF) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Norway. It was formed in 1902 and organises the Norway national football team, men's and Norway women's national football team, women's national te ...
and say no".
Nigeria
Obasi was part of the
Nigeria national under-20 football team
The Nigerian men's national under-20 football team represents Nigeria in men's international association football, football also known as the Nigeria Under-20s or nicknamed the ''Flying Eagles.'' The Flying Eagles is the youth team for the nat ...
that finished runners-up at the
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 15th edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It took place in the Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005.
Venues
Qualification
The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA Worl ...
.
After the end of the FIFA World Youth Championship, Obasi was called up by the
senior national team for the first time on 17 August 2005, in a 1–0 defeat against
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
. In July 2008, Obasi was called up by
Nigeria national under-23 football team
Nigeria national under-23 football team represents Nigeria in international association football, football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to male players under the age of 23, except during the Olympic Games where the use ...
. However, the club refused to let Obasi go to the Olympics, leading him to take the situation to FIFA. Eventually, Obasi was given permission by the club's management to compete with the
national olympic team and helped the side finish runners-up at the
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fr ...
. During the tournament, Obasi scored twice on 19 August 2008, in a 4–1 win over
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
.
In January 2010, Obasi was called up by the
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
for the
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
. In the group stage, Obasi scored the opener in the 12th minute, but lost 3–1 against
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. Later in the tournament, Obasi helped the national team finish in third-place at the
2010 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was held in Angola, where it began on 10 January 2 ...
after beating
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
.
Six months later, Obasi was included in the 23-man squad for the national team in the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
.
On matchday one, Obasi made his World Cup debut when he made his first start and played 60 minutes in a 1–0 against
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. On matchday three, Obasi set up a goal for
Yakubu
Yakubu is a male-given Hausa language, Hausa, Yoruba language, Yoruba and some parts of Edo State, Edo. The name is commonly used as a surname in Nigeria and other African countries. The name means "God is merciful.". It is a cognate of Jacob (na ...
to score an equaliser, in a 2–2 draw against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, but this was not enough for his side to progress out of the group stages.
A year later, Obasi scored his fourth international goal for the side, in a 3–1 loss against
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
.
Since 2011, Obasi hasn't played for the national team, due to injury and being out of form and because he was not released by the club although he was called up on more than one occasion.
Personal life
The name "Obasi" means "Glory of God" in the Nigerian
Igbo language
Igbo ( , ; Standard Igbo: ''Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò'' ) is the principal native language cluster of the Igbo people, an ethnicity in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
Igbo languages are spoken by a total of 31 million people. The number of Igbo ...
.
Obasi prays before every one of his matches: "I can talk to God about everything, so I pray for victory".
When Obasi lived in Germany, he began to learn the German language. It was reported that Obasi received a German citizenship in March 2015, having stayed there for eight years.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Obasi goal.''
Honours
Nigeria
*
African Nations Cup
The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
bronze medal: 2010
Nigeria Olympic
*
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
silver medal: 2008
Nigeria U20
*
FIFA World Youth Championship
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...
runner-up: 2005
Individual
*
Norwegian Premier League
Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...
player of the month: August 2006
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Kniksen award
The Kniksen Award (), established in 1990, honors the best players in the Norwegian football premiership. The award is named after the legendary Norwegian football player Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen".
Categories
Category A
A jury comp ...
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Young player of the year in 2006
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Obasi, Chinedu
1986 births
Living people
Lyn Fotball players
Igbo sportspeople
Nigerian men's footballers
Nigeria men's international footballers
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim players
FC Schalke 04 players
AIK Fotboll players
Shenzhen F.C. players
Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
IF Elfsborg players
SC Rheindorf Altach players
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Expatriate men's footballers in Norway
Expatriate men's footballers in China
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Norway
Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in China
Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2010 Africa Cup of Nations players
Allsvenskan players
Bundesliga players
2. Bundesliga players
Eliteserien players
China League One players
Austrian Football Bundesliga players
Nigerian expatriate men's footballers
Olympic footballers for Nigeria
Olympic silver medalists for Nigeria
2010 FIFA World Cup players
Footballers from Enugu
Olympic medalists in football
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Nigeria men's under-20 international footballers
Men's association football forwards
Naturalized citizens of Germany
German sportspeople of Nigerian descent
21st-century Nigerian sportsmen