Uche Akubuike (born 17 March 1980 in

Akwa Ibom Akwa Ibom is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state takes its name from the Qua ...

) is a Nigerian

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

. He plays club football for

Enyimba Aba is a city in southeastern Nigeria. It lies along the west bank of the Aba River and is at the intersection of roads leading to settlements such as Port Harcourt, Owerri, Umuahia, Ikot Ekpene, and Ikot-Abasi. Aba was established by t ...

Playing career

He began his career in 1997 with NITEL Vasco Da Gama F.C. later moving in 1998 to Jasper United. After 1 year with Jasper United, he left the club and moved to Algerian

USM Blida Union Sportive Madinat Blida (), known as USM Blida or simply USMB, is a football club based in Blida, Algeria. They play in the Inter-Régions Division, the third tier of Algerian football. Founded in 1932, they have played their home games at ...

.Report: Uche Akubike in jail
at news24.com, 7-9-2004, retrieved 1-7-2016 Afterwards he signed with

Canon Yaoundé Canon Sportif de Yaoundé, commonly known as Canon Yaoundé, is a Cameroonian professional football club based in the capital city of Yaoundé. The club was formed in 1930 and play their games at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo. Their most successful perio ...

, and also played on loan with

FK Hajduk Kula FK Hajduk Kula (Serbian Cyrillic: ФК Хајдук Кула) was a Serbian football club based in Kula. The club was named after a Hajduk, a much celebrated hero figure in the Serbian epic poetry. On 30 July 2013, just eleven days before start ...

in Serbia, and

B71 Sandoy B71 (Sandoy) (B71 being short for Bóltfelagið 1971 – literal translation: "Ball Club 1971") is a Faroe Islands, Faroese football Football team, club, playing their home games ''Inni í Dal'', Sandur (Faroe Islands), Sandur. Teams are made u ...

in the Faroe Islands. In January 2003 he transferred to

Julius Berger FC Bridge Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Lagos that was founded in 1976. As a result of its association with the Julius Berger construction company, the club was known as Julius Berger Football Club until 2010. The club has w ...

, and, later, he played on loan for

Platinum Stars Platinum Stars was a South African football club based in Phokeng near Rustenburg, North West Province that played in the Premier Soccer League. The club was nicknamed ''Dikwena'', the Tswana name for ''Crocodiles''. The team's best finish in ...

in 2005. He controversially left the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n club after being arrested for visa irregularities. He left Berger in 2006 and moved to Dolphins F.C. Later in 2006, he moved on loan to

Kwara United F.C. Kwara United Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Ilorin. They play in the top division in Nigerian football, the Nigeria Professional football League having gained promotion in 2017 from the Nigeria National League. Their home stad ...

After the loan returned for one month before moving to crosstown rival

Sharks F.C. Sharks Football Club was a Nigerian football club based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They played in the top division in Nigerian football, the Nigerian Premier League. Their home stadium was Sharks Stadium although they played some of their ...

On 14 February 2008 left Port Harcourt and signs a contract for

Wikki Tourists Wikki Tourists Football Club is a professional football clubs based in Bauchi, Nigeria, currently playing in the Nigeria National League. The main sponsor of the team is the Bauchi State Government. The club's home stadium is Abubakar Tafawa Ba ...

. AKubuike then played with

Gombe United Gombe United Football Club is a Nigerian football (soccer), football club based in Gombe, Nigeria, Gombe. They play in the Nigeria Professional Football League. Their home stadium is the new Pantami Stadium, having moved from Abubakar Umar Memori ...

between 2010 and 2012. He signed for Enyimba in May 2012.

International

He was called up by

Bora Milutinović Velibor "Bora" Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Велибор Бора Милутиновић; born 7 September 1944) is a Serbian former professional footballer and manager. He has managed at five editions of the FIFA World Cup, tied for the record al ...

for the

Nigeria national football team The Nigeria national football team represents Nigeria in Men's international Association football, football. Governed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), they are three-time Africa Cup of Nations (Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON) winners, w ...

Independent.co.uk
as back-up goalkeeper in the

1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 1 ...

. He has also played a number of friendly matches and has been part of Nigerian team in the African Nations Cup qualifiers. He was also part of the Nigerian team in the Hong Kong 4 Nations Tournament.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akubuike, Uche 1980 births Living people Nigerian men's footballers Footballers from Akwa Ibom State Nigeria men's international footballers Men's association football goalkeepers Dolphin F.C. (Nigeria) players Platinum Stars F.C. players Sharks F.C. players Wikki Tourists F.C. players Kwara United F.C. players Ifeanyi Ubah F.C. players Gombe United F.C. players Bridge F.C. players Canon Yaoundé players Expatriate men's footballers in Cameroon Expatriate men's soccer players in South Africa USM Blida players Expatriate men's footballers in Algeria FK Hajduk Kula players Expatriate men's footballers in Serbia and Montenegro B71 Sandoy players Expatriate men's footballers in the Faroe Islands Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Serbia and Montenegro Jasper United F.C. players NITEL Vasco Da Gama F.C. players Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in the Faroe Islands Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Algeria Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Cameroon Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in South Africa 21st-century Nigerian sportsmen Nigerian expatriate men's footballers