Emmanuel Apeh

Nigerian footballer

Manu Apeh
Personal information
Full name Emmanuel Apeh
Date of birth (1996-10-25) 25 October 1996 (age 27)[1]
Place of birth Kaduna, Nigeria[2]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Sabah
Number 19
Youth career
SamVic Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Alcalá B 12 (10)
2016 Alcalá 9 (4)
2016–2017 Lorca B 37 (27)
2016–2018 Lorca 30 (3)
2018–2020 Celta B 47 (19)
2019 Celta 2 (0)
2020–2022 Tenerife 39 (1)
2022 → Alcorcón (loan) 17 (2)
2022– Sabah 44 (10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 November 2023

Emmanuel "Manu" Apeh (born 25 October 1996) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for Azeri club Sabah.

Club career

Born in Kaduna,[2] Apeh was a SamVic Academy youth graduate,[3] and had a failed trial at Inter Milan in August 2014.[4] He made his senior debut with RSD Alcalá's reserve team in 2015, in the regional leagues.

Apeh made his first team debut on 24 March 2016, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 1–5 Tercera División away loss against CD San Fernando de Henares.[5] Three days later he scored his first goal, netting the last in a 2–0 home win against AD Parla.[6]

In July 2016, after scoring four goals in nine matches, Apeh was definitely promoted to Alcalá's main squad;[7] however, he subsequently moved to Lorca FC's B-team also in the fourth division. He made his first team debut for the latter on 17 September, replacing Manuel Onwu in a 1–0 away win against Granada CF B in the Segunda División B championship.[8]

In April 2017, ahead of a match against Linares Deportivo, Apeh opted not to tell his father's death to his club, and still travelled and played with the senior and the reserve squads.[9] In August, after his team's promotion to Segunda División, he was definitely promoted to the main squad by new manager Curro Torres.[10]

Apeh made his professional debut on 18 August 2017, coming on as a late substitute for Manel Martínez in a 2–0 home win against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa; he also provided the assist for Carlos Martínez's last goal.[11] He scored his first professional goal on 21 October, netting his team's second in a 2–2 home draw against CD Tenerife.

On 11 July 2018, Apeh joined Celta de Vigo B in the third division.[12] He made his first team – and La Liga – debut the following 27 January, replacing Jozabed in a 1–2 away loss against Real Valladolid.

On 5 August 2020, Apeh agreed to a three-year deal with CD Tenerife in the second level.[13] On 26 January 2022, after being rarely used during the first half of the campaign, he moved on loan to fellow league team AD Alcorcón until June.[14]

On 18 July 2022, Sabah announced the signing of Apeh to a two-year contract.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Emmanuel Apeh – Manu" (in Spanish). FutMadrid. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Little known Nigerian forward Emmanuel Apeh turning heads in Spain". Own Goal Nigeria. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Inter Milan trialist Apeh Emmanuel hopes to be offered a contract". All Nigeria Soccer. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Godwin Alex Joseph and Apeh Emmanuel training with Inter Milan". All Nigeria Soccer. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  5. ^ "San Fernando 5–1 Alcalá | Manotazo de realidades" [San Fernando 5–1 Alcalá | Sweep of reality] (in Spanish). El Gol de Madriz. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Alcalá 2–0 Parla | Manu y Sergio, resucitadores rojillos" [Alcalá 2–0 Parla | Manu and Sergio, revivers rojillos] (in Spanish). El Gol de Madriz. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  7. ^ "La RSD Alcalá ya trabaja a las órdenes de Joselu – Temporada 2016/17" [RSD Alcalá work at Joselu's orders – 2016/17 season] (in Spanish). FutMadrid. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  8. ^ "El Lorca FC saca pecho en casa del Granada B (0–1)" [Lorca FC raise the chest at Granada B's home (0–1)] (in Spanish). Granada Digital. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Apeh oculta que su padre ha fallecido para jugar con el Lorca" [Apeh hinders that his father died to play for Lorca] (in Spanish). La Opinión de Murcia. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Manu Apeh convence a Curro Torres" [Manu Apeh convinces Curro Torres] (in Spanish). La Opinión de Murcia. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  11. ^ "El Lorca aterriza a lo grande en Segunda" [Lorca land through the big door in Segunda] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Emmanuel Apeh: fortaleza física, juego aéreo y remate para el ataque del Celta B" [Emmanuel Apeh: physical strength, set pieces and shooting for the attack of Celta B] (in Spanish). Celta de Vigo. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Emmanuel Apeh, primer fichaje 20/21" [Emmanuel Apeh, first 20/21 signing] (in Spanish). CD Tenerife. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Emmanuel Apeh, cedido a la AD Alcorcón" [Emmanuel Apeh, loaned to AD Alcorcón] (in Spanish). CD Tenerife. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  15. ^ "XOŞ GƏLDİN, EMMANUEL APEH!". sabahfc.az (in Azerbaijani). Sabah FC. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.

External links

  • Manu Apeh at BDFutbol
  • Manu Apeh at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
  • Manu Apeh at Soccerway