Onyekachi Apam

Onyekachi Apam

Personal information
Full name	Onyekachi Apam
Date of birth	(1986-12-30) 30 December 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Aba, Nigeria
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position	Defender
Youth career
0000–2003	Pepsi Football Academy
2004–2005	Enugu Rangers
2005–2006	Nice
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2010	Nice	105	(1)
2010–2014	Rennes	23	(0)
2014	Seattle Sounders FC	0	(0)
Total		128	(1)
International career
2005	Nigeria U20	6	(0)
2008	Nigeria U23	5	(0)
2007–2010	Nigeria	14	(0)
Medal record Representing  Nigeria Men's Football 2008 Beijing Team Competition
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Onyekachi Apam (born 30 December 1986) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defender.^[1] He represented Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as part of the men's football team.^[2]

Career

In 2005, Apam tried out for Nice, where he eventually signed. He made 105 appearances and extended his contract to end in 2013 rather than 2012 before transferring to Rennes in 2010.^[3][4] Apam sat out most his time at Rennes due first to a knee injury and later to an ankle injury.^[5][6] He left Rennes in early 2014 after appearing only 23 times in four years and signed with Seattle Sounders FC in September just before the MLS roster freeze.^[3][7] He was released without making an appearance on 5 December.^[8]

Team Nigeria

During his career, Apam represented Nigeria's national team 14 times, including the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship;^[9] the 2008 Africa Cup and the Summer Olympics;^[10] and the FIFA World Cup^[11] and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010.^[12][3] Nigeria won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics.^[13][14]

Personal life

Apam is of Igbo descent.^[15]

On 31 December 2007 in Enugu, Apam's car was stolen and he was kidnapped for forty-five minutes before being released.^[16][17]

Apam's nephew is footballer Lesley Ugochukwu, who also played for Rennes until 2023.^[1]

References

1. Mabuka, Dennis (3 July 2021). "Lesley Ugochukwu: Nigeria target signs contract extension at Rennes". GOAL. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
2. Azikiwe, Ifeoha. Nigeria Echoes of a Century - Volume Two 1999-2014. p. 357.
3. "Sounders FC Signs Onyekachi Apam". Sounders FC. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
4. "Nice's Nigerian Apam Extends Contract". GOAL.com. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
5. "Apam Eyes EPL switch in summer". DisNaija. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
6. "Onyekachi Apam". Stade Rennais. 30 July 2002. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
7. Mumuni, Moutakilou (6 January 2014). "Nigerian Onyekachi Apam quits Rennes". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
8. "Sounders Terminate Apam's Contract, Two Other Nigerians". 5 December 2014.
9. "FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005". FIFA. 2005. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
10. "Apam robbed at gunpoint". BBC. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
11. "Anichebe and Utaka named to Nigeria squad". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
12. Doyle, Paul (20 January 2010). "Africa Cup of Nations: Nigeria v Mozambique – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
13. "Apam wants Siasia as Eagles coach". Vanguard. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
14. "Soccer-World-Penpix of Nigeria squad". Reuters. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
15. Bello, Aderonke (8 November 2015). "The Dominance of the Igbo Tribe in Nigerian Football by Aderonke Bello". LinkedIn. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
16. "5 Super Eagles Players Who Have Been Terrorized By Kidnappers in Nigeria". Naija World. n.d. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
17. Okeleji, Oluwashina (28 November 2015). "Nigeria U-23 coach Samson Siasia's mother released". BBC. Retrieved 21 July 2021.

External links

• Onyekachi Apam's profile, stats & pics
• Onyekachi Apam – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)