Prince Ikpe Ekong
Football biography | name = Prince Ikpe Ekong | image = Prince Ikpe Ekong DIF.JPG | image_size = 200px | birth_date = Lagos, Nigeria | height = 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | position = Midfielder | currentclub = [] | clubnumber = 14 | years1 = 1995 | years2 = 1995–2003 | years3 = 1995–1996 | years4 = 1996–1998 | years5 = 1998–1999 | years6 = 1999–2000 | years7 = 2003–2004 | years8 = 2005 | years9 = 2006–2008 | years10 = 2008–2011 | years11 = 2012–2013 | years12 = | clubs1 = Julius Berger | clubs2 = Reggiana | clubs3 = → Koper (loan) | clubs4 = → Tecos UAG (loan) | clubs5 = → AC Bellinzona (loan) | clubs6 = → UTA Arad (loan) | clubs7 = Shenyang Ginde | clubs8 = Xiamen Lanshi | clubs9 = GAIS | clubs10 = Djurgårdens IF | clubs11 = [[FC Väsby United|Väsby United(Now Eskiltuna IF] Retired 2013. | | caps1 = | caps2 = 63 | caps3 = 16 | caps4 = | caps5 = | caps6 = | caps7 = 43 | caps8 = 21 | caps9 = 46 | caps10 = 53 | caps11 = 23 | goals1 = | goals2 = 1 | goals3 = 0 | goals4 = | goals5 = | goals6 = | goals7 = 1 | goals8 = 5 | goals9 = 1 | goals10 = 3 | goals11 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2001–2004 | nationalteam1 = Nigeria | nationalcaps1 = 25 | nationalgoals1 = 2 | pcupdate = 5 December 2012 | ntupdate = 28 April 2011 }}
5 October 1978 | birth_place =Prince Ikpe Ekong (born 5 October 1978) is a Nigerian footballer who played lastly in the Swedish highest league for 6 seasons and was recognise as a denominable midfielder, strength, acceleration and classic passes.
Career
After the 1994 World Cup a series of Nigerian players was brought to the European top leagues, and Ikpe Ekong was signed by Italian club Reggiana, then coached by Carlo Ancelotti.
Reggiana
Due to Italian rules regarding non-EU players, he could not play for the first team in Serie A, he ended up going on a loan to FC Koper from Slovenia,[1] when he returned to Italy he was loaned out again to Tecos UAG of Mexico, then AC Bellinzona from Switzerland and FCM UTA from Romania. It would not be until 2000 when Prince Ikpe Ekong returned to Italy to play for A.C. Reggiana. However Reggiana had fallen to Serie C1 where no non-EU players were allowed, and this led to Ikpe Ekong filing a lawsuit against the Italian FA, which he won, allowing him to play in Serie C1.
Allsvenskan
In 2003, he moved to China and Changsha Ginde and later Xiamen Lanshi. In 2006 four clubs where interested in signing him, French club CS Sedan, Maccabi Tel Aviv from Israel, Gençlerbirliğ from Turkey and GAIS from Sweden. He chose GAIS after he visited the club and then visited a local church where he heard God told him to Stay in Sweden. In 2008, he left GAIS to sign for Allsvenskan rivals Djurgårdens IF.[2][3] He was bought out of his contract with Djurgården in November 2011 after having played none of the games from the start but later helped the club to remain in the Swedish highest league, scoring an important goal against Helsinborg the year Henrik Larsson retired from football in the 2011 season.
Honours
- China League One: 2005[4]
References
- ^ Stats from Slovenia at PrvaLiga
- ^ Olof Peronius. "Världens lirare" (in Swedish). Expressen.se. Archived from the original on 15 July 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
- ^ Mattias Balkander. "Fyra kontinenter – en Prince" (in Swedish). GP.se. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
- ^ "厦门主场完胜夺得中甲冠军--05中甲最终积分榜". sports.sohu.com. 2005-10-22. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
External links
- Prince Ikpe Ekong at National-Football-Teams.com
- World Soccer profile
- Living people
- 1978 births
- Sportspeople from Lagos
- Nigerian footballers
- Nigeria international footballers
- Nigerian expatriate footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Bridge F.C. players
- FC Koper players
- Expatriate footballers in Slovenia
- Tecos F.C. footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Mexico
- AC Bellinzona players
- Expatriate footballers in Switzerland
- FC UTA Arad players
- Liga I players
- Expatriate footballers in Romania
- Reggio Audace F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Changsha Ginde players
- Xiamen Blue Lions players
- Chinese Super League players
- China League One players
- Expatriate footballers in China
- GAIS players
- Djurgårdens IF Fotboll players
- Allsvenskan players
- Expatriate footballers in Sweden
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Slovenia
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in China
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Romania
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- 2004 African Cup of Nations players
- Slovenian PrvaLiga players