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
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Willem
Number	22
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–	Willem	4	(1)
International career
2002–2004	Nigeria	11	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 May 2016

Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984 in Ogoja) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Dutch club Willem II as a forward.

Club career

Still a youngster, Ogbeche was bought 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 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 – 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 competition, Real Valladolid, making his debut on 26 August 2007 in a 1–0 away success over RCD Espanyol (12 minutes played).

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. On 17 December he scored his first goal for his new club, against Cardiff City in a 3–2 away win; on 6 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.

In January 2014, Ogbeche moved clubs and countries again, signing for SC Cambuur in the Netherlands. He scored once and provided an assist in his Eredivisie debut, helping to a 3–1 home win over SC Heerenveen.

International career

A Nigerian international since 2002, aged 18, Ogbeche was picked for that year's FIFA World Cup, and appeared in two group stage matches in an eventual group stage exit.

External links

• Bartholomew Ogbeche – French League Stats at LFP.fr (French)
• L'Équipe stats (French)
• Bartholomew Ogbeche profile at BDFutbol
• Bartholomew Ogbeche at National-Football-Teams.com
• Stats and bio at Cadistas1910 (Spanish)
• Bartholomew Ogbeche at Soccerway