Pius Ikedia

Pius Ikedia
Personal information
Full name	Pius Nelson Ikedia
Date of birth	11 July 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth	Lagos, Nigeria
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
0000–1996	Okin Oloja Ventures
Senior career*
Years	Team
1997–1998	Bendel Insurance
1998–1999	ASEC Mimosas
1999–2005	Ajax
2002–2003	→ Groningen (loan)
2003–2005	→ RBC Roosendaal (loan)
2005–2007	AZ
2006–2007	→ RKC Waalwijk (loan)
2007–2008	Metalurh Donetsk
2008–2010	RBC Roosendaal
2010–2011	AZAL
2011–2012	Mağusa Türk Gücü
2014–2016	OFC Oostzaan
International career
1997–2004	Nigeria
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 November 2012 (UTC)

Pius Nelson Ikedia (born 11 July 1980) is a Nigerian retired professional footballer who played as a winger.

Career

A product of Abesan estate community in Ipaja area of Lagos. A very fast right winger that was unstoppable and a match winner anyday. While still a teenager, Ikedia scored many goals along with Julius Aghahowa at Nigerian club Bendel Insurance. He played professional football for one year in Ivory Coast before he was discovered by Dutch giants Ajax. After three seasons with Ajax he was loaned out to various Dutch clubs before finally signing a permanent deal with AZ in 2005. In the 2006–07 season he was out on loan to RKC Waalwijk but failed to make an impact and was subsequently released by AZ. He returned to RBC Roosendaal, whom he had been loaned out to while at Ajax, after a trial with the Chicago Fire, after which he would go on to play for Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine in 2007. Between 2008 and 2010, he once again played for RBC in the Netherlands. After spells in Azerbaijan and Cyprus with AZAL and Mağusa Türk Gücü,^[1] respectively, Ikedia returned to the Netherlands to play for amateur side OFC Oostzaan in 2014.^[2] He retired in 2016.

On 20 August 2016, in a match where Ikedia represented Lucky Ajax, a team of former Ajax players, against Sportclub Haarlo, he collapsed and was resuscitated on the pitch.^[3] Later, it was announced that he was recovering in the hospital and fine considering the circumstances.^[4]

International career

Ikedia has played 15 international matches and scored one goal for Nigeria, for whom he debuted in 1997. He played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 Summer Olympics.

References

^ "Kuzey Kıbrıs Telsim Süper Lig" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
^ Elibol, Rasit; Meijer, Wesley (13 May 2016). "Voetbalvereniging Oostzaan in de ban van fraude". parool.nl. Het Parool. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
^ "Ikedia gereanimeerd tijdens duel Lucky Ajax". nos.nl. NOS. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
^ "Update: Ikedia maakt het goed na reanimatie". ajaxfanzone.nl. ajaxfanzone.nl. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

External links

Ikedia returns to Holland

[1] "Kuzey Kıbrıs Telsim Süper Lig" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2013.

[2] Elibol, Rasit; Meijer, Wesley (13 May 2016). "Voetbalvereniging Oostzaan in de ban van fraude". parool.nl. Het Parool. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

[3] "Ikedia gereanimeerd tijdens duel Lucky Ajax". nos.nl. NOS. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

[4] "Update: Ikedia maakt het goed na reanimatie". ajaxfanzone.nl. ajaxfanzone.nl. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

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