Kalu Uche (born 15 November 1982) is a Nigerian 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 ...

who plays 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) ** Sm ...

. He spent most of his career in Spain, mainly with

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...

, with which he amassed

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men' ...

totals of 117 matches and 27 goals (212 appearances and 45 goals all competitions comprised). He also competed professionally in Poland, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Qatar and India. A

Nigeria international Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya 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 G ...

in the 2000s, Uche represented his country at the

2010 World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

and 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 20 ...

Club career

Early years

Born in

Aba, Abia Aba is a city in the southeast of Nigeria and the commercial center of Abia State. Upon the creation of Abia state in 1991, Aba was divided into two local government areas namely; Aba South and Aba North. Aba south is the main city centre and ...

, Uche's career began in Nigeria with

Enyimba International F.C. Enyimba Football Club or simply known as Enyimba, is a Nigerian football club based in the city of Aba which plays in the Nigerian Professional Football League. Their name means ''People's Elephant'' in Igbo language and is also the nickname us ...

and

Iwuanyanwu Nationale Heartland Football Club founded as Spartans F.C., later known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale from 1985 to 2006 is a Nigerian football club based in Owerri. The team play their home games at Dan Anyiam Stadium (but currently use the new Okigwe Stadium a ...

. In the 2000–01 season he joined

RCD Espanyol B Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona "B" is the reserve team of the RCD Espanyol, club based in Barcelona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. The team was founded in 1991 and plays in the Segunda Federación – Group 3, holding hom ...

in Spain, failing to receive any first-team opportunities and competing with the reserves in the third division. Uche then transferred to

Wisła Kraków Towarzystwo Sportowe Wisła Kraków Spółka Akcyjna, commonly referred to as Wisła Kraków (), is a Polish professional football club based in Kraków. It currently competes in the I liga, the second level of Polish football league system. ...

, playing there until 2005 – winning the

Ekstraklasa Poland Ekstraklasa (), meaning "Extra Class" in Polish, named PKO Ekstraklasa since the 2019–20 season due to its sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is the top Polish professional league for men's association football teams. Contested by 18 ...

three times and

Polish Cup The Polish Cup in football ( pl, Puchar Polski w piłce nożnej ) is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa titl ...

twice – except for the 2004–05 campaign when he represented

FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux (), commonly referred to as Girondins de Bordeaux ( oc, Girondins de Bordèu) or simply Bordeaux, is a French professional football club based in the city of Bordeaux in Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The ...

, on loan.

Almería

For 2005–06, Uche moved to

UD Almería Unión Deportiva Almería, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional football club based in Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 26 July 1989 and known as ''Almería Club de Fútbol'' until 2001, when it was renamed ''Unión D ...

, and was instrumental in helping the

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

club to its first ever

promotion in his second year, scoring eight league goals (with three in the last five matches). He made his debut in the competition on 26 August 2007, coming from the bench in a 3–0 away win against

Deportivo de La Coruña Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña (), Deportivo or simply Dépor, is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. They currently play in the Primera División RFEF – ...

. On 11 January 2009, profiting from the absence of first-choice

Álvaro Negredo Álvaro Negredo Sánchez (; born 20 August 1985) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Cádiz as a striker. Nicknamed ''La fiera de Vallecas'' (The beast of Vallecas), he has played for Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid B, Almería, ...

, Uche netted both goals in a 2–2 draw at Espanyol. On 5 December, he scored his team's second goal at

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...

for the 2–1, but the hosts eventually rallied back to 4–2. In the following summer, Negredo was sold to

Sevilla FC Sevilla Fútbol Club () is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It plays in Spanish football's top flight, La Liga. Sevilla have won the UEFA Eu ...

– via Real Madrid – and Uche became Almería's most important attacking reference. He finished the 2009–10 season with a career-best in Spain nine goals, including a brace on 4 May 2010 against

Villarreal CF Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. ( ca-valencia, Vila-real Club de Futbol, S.A.D.), usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or simply Villarreal, is a professional football club based in Villarreal, in the Castellón province of eastern Spain, ...

in a 4–2 home win, which all but certified permanence in the top level for another year. Uche was only available to manager

Juan Manuel Lillo Juan Manuel "Juanma" Lillo Díez (born 3 November 1965) is a Spanish football manager, currently in charge of Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd SC. Having started coaching before his 20s, he was the youngest manager in charge of a La Liga club, ...

one month into

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, due to fitness problems. In the second match upon his return, on 26 September 2010, he scored twice in a 2–0 victory at Deportivo for Almería's first win of the campaign, going on to net seven in 32 games as the club was finally relegated after a four-year stay.

Neuchâtel and Espanyol

On 4 August 2011, Uche joined

Swiss Super League The Swiss Super League (known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a Swiss professional league in the top tier of the Swiss football league system and has been played in its current format since the 2003–04 seaso ...

side

Neuchâtel Xamax , neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier , twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (Fra ...

on a two-year deal. He left the following

transfer window A transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other playing staff into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA. "Transfer ...

, however, and returned to Espanyol, immerse in a deep injury crisis to its attacking line, signing until June 2013. Uche opened his scoring account for his new club on 25 February 2012 in a 1–2 home loss against

Levante UD Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. (, ca-valencia, Llevant Unió Esportiva ) is a Spanish football club in Valencia, in the namesake autonomous community. Founded on 9 September 1909, Levante play in Segunda División, holding home games at Ci ...

. On 11 March, he put three past

Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas. Rayo was founded on 29 May 1924, and currently compete in La ...

in another home fixture (5–1).

Late career

On 20 July 2012, Uche moved to Turkish club

Kasımpaşa SK Kasımpaşa may refer to: * Kasımpaşa, Beyoğlu, a quarter in Istanbul, Turkey *Kasımpaşa S.K. Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü. (, Kasımpaşa Sports Club), commercially registered as Kasımpaşa Sportif Faaliyetleri A.Ş., colloquially known Kası ...

, signing a three-year contract. On 1 October of the following year he switched teams and countries again, penning a deal with

El Jaish SC El-Jaish Sports Club ( ar, نادي الجيش الرياضي) was a Qatari multi-sports club from 2011 to 2017, based in the Al-Duhail area of Doha. The association football team played in the Qatar Stars League. The team won the Qatargas L ...

in Qatar. Uche signed an 18-month contract with

on 29 January 2015, after a short stint at

Al Rayyan SC Al-Rayyan Sports Club () is a Qatari multi-sports club fielding teams in a number of sports such as football, futsal, basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, table tennis, and swimming. It is based at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in ...

. On 7 January 2016, he returned to Almería, after spending six months at

FC Pune City Football Club Pune City was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra, which last participated in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football league system, under licence from AIFF. The club was founded ...

. He began his third spell at the former club in February 2017, joining until 30 June as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

International career

Uche made his debut for

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya 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 G ...

on 21 June 2003, in an African Nations Cup qualifier against

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

, scoring in the process. He represented the nation at the

, going scoreless for the eventual third-placed team. After a solid club season, Uche was picked for that year's

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the ' (FIFA), the ...

in South Africa. On 17 June, against

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

, he opened the score from a

free kick A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play. Association football In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an off ...

, but the Super Eagles soon were reduced to ten men and lost 1–2. In the third and last game he also scored the opener, eventually earning Nigeria's only point in the competition in a 2–2 draw with

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

International goals

Personal life

Uche's younger brother,

Ikechukwu Uche Ikechukwu Uche (born 5 January 1984) is a former Nigerian professional footballer who played as a striker. Known for his acrobatic goal celebrations, he spent most of his professional career in Spain, having arrived in the country before the a ...

, is also a footballer. Also a forward, he too spent most of his senior career in Spain (they are not related to two other players,

Uche Okechukwu Uchechukwu Alozie “Uche” Okechukwu also known as Deniz Uygar (born 27 September 1967) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a central defender. "Uchechukwu" is an Igbo name meaning "God´s will". He was also honoure ...

and

Ikechukwu Kalu Ikechukwu Kalu (born 18 April 1984 in Kaduna) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker. His name, Ikechukwu, means "Power of God". Football career He started his career at Jasper United in Nigeria. He was signed by U.C. Sampdoria in su ...

Honors

Wisła Kraków *

: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04 Nigeria *

Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internati ...

third place:

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

References

External links

NigerianPlayers profile
* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Uche, Kalu 1982 births Living people People from Aba, Abia Nigerian footballers Association football midfielders Association football forwards Nigeria Professional Football League players Enyimba F.C. players Heartland F.C. players La Liga players Segunda División players Segunda División B players RCD Espanyol B footballers UD Almería players RCD Espanyol footballers Levante UD footballers Ekstraklasa players Wisła Kraków players Ligue 1 players FC Girondins de Bordeaux players Swiss Super League players Neuchâtel Xamax FCS players Süper Lig players Kasımpaşa S.K. footballers Qatar Stars League players Qatari Second Division players El Jaish SC players Al-Rayyan SC players Indian Super League players FC Pune City players Odisha FC players ATK (football club) players Nigeria international footballers 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players Nigerian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Spain Expatriate footballers in Poland Expatriate footballers in France Expatriate footballers in Switzerland Expatriate footballers in Turkey Expatriate footballers in Qatar Expatriate footballers in India Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Poland Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in France Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in India