Biography
Who is John Ugochukwu?
Early football career
John Ugochukwu began his path in football through the youth departments of Flying Sports Academy, Akwa United, and Akwa Starlets. He moved to Slovenia on 23 September 2006 to join NK Drava Ptuj. During his four years with that Slovenian club, he made 97 appearances and scored eight goals.
In the summer of 2010, he transitioned to the Portuguese side Atlético Clube de Portugal. He spent six months there before moving to Spain to play for UD Almería B. By November 2011, he returned to Portugal to join U.D. Leiria.
Success in Israel and Portugal
John joined Académica in July 2012 and played there for two years. He scored one league goal in 27 matches and netted his first goal in the Portuguese Cup against Ponte da Barca. He also scored a decisive league goal against Vitória de Setúbal to help the team stay in the top division.
He moved to Israel for the 2014–15 season to join Hapoel Be'er Sheva. After signing a four-year contract in September 2014, he scored his first goal for the club against Maccabi Netanya. His time with the team included reaching the Israel State Cup final and winning the State Championship during the 2015–16 season.
During the 2016–17 season, John Ugochukwu achieved significant success. He won the Israel Super Cup by defeating Maccabi Haifa 4–2. He also helped the club win the Toto Cup and secured the league championship after scoring a winning goal against Maccabi Tel Aviv in April 2017.
International career and later clubs
John Ugochukwu represented the Nigerian national team on several occasions. He made his debut against Kenya in March 2013 and scored his first international goal against Mexico at Reliant Stadium in Houston. He was a member of the 23-man squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
He was also named to the preliminary 30-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was part of the squad for AFCON 2019. His club career later included stints with Al-Adalah, Hapoel Nof HaGalil F.C., and Maccabi Jaffa.
In January 2020, he signed a six-month contract with Al-Adalah and made seven appearances. He returned to Israel in February 2022 to play for Hapoel Nof HaGalil. He eventually signed with Maccabi Jaffa on 30 May 2022.
Birthday and age
John Ugochukwu was born on April 20, 1988, which makes John 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. John shares the date with 52 other famous people.
Explore more
