Nika Kacharava Explained

Nika Kacharava
Fullname:Nikoloz Kacharava
Birth Date:13 January 1994
Birth Place:Nicosia, Cyprus
Currentclub:Spartakos Kitiou
Height:1.98 m
Position:Forward
Youthyears1:2011–2012
Youthclubs1:Dinamo Tbilisi
Youthyears2:2012–2013
Youthclubs2:Gagra
Youthyears3:2013–2014
Youthclubs3:Rubin Kazan
Years1:2014–2016
Clubs1:Tskhinvali
Caps1:41
Goals1:25
Years2:2016–2018
Clubs2:Rostov
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Years3:2016–2017
Clubs3:Ethnikos Achna (loan)
Caps3:27
Goals3:16
Years4:2017–2018
Clubs4:Korona Kielce (loan)
Caps4:26
Goals4:7
Years5:2018–2022
Caps5:51
Goals5:11
Years6:2020–2021
Clubs6:Lech Poznań (loan)
Caps6:7
Goals6:1
Years7:2022
Clubs7:Jeonnam Dragons
Caps7:10
Goals7:2
Years8:2023
Clubs8:Torpedo Kutaisi
Caps8:14
Goals8:3
Years9:2023–2024
Clubs9:Panevėžys
Caps9:17
Goals9:2
Years10:2024–
Clubs10:Spartakos
Caps10:0
Goals10:0
Nationalyears1:2012–2013
Nationalcaps1:8
Nationalgoals1:2
Nationalyears2:2013–2016
Nationalcaps2:10
Nationalgoals2:6
Nationalyears3:2016–
Nationalcaps3:24
Nationalgoals3:3
Club-Update:11 June 2024
Nationalteam-Update:1 May 2023

Nikoloz "Nika" Kacharava (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ "ნიკა" კაჭარავა|tr, in Georgian pronounced as /nikʼoloz nikʼa kʼatʃʼaɾava/; born 13 January 1994) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Cypriot Second Division club Spartakos. Born in Cyprus, he has played for the Georgia national team.

Club career

Kacharava started his career in the second team of Dinamo Tbilisi. A promising youth, he found it hard finding opportunities to break into the Tbilisi first team and signed a contract with Rubin Kazan.[1] Kacharava played several matches with the Rubin Kazan youth squads, but found it hard to break into the first team squad.[2] Kacharava got his first official contract with Rubin Kazan, but became frustrated with the lack of first team opportunities.

Kacharava moved back to Georgia and signed a contract with FC Tskhinvali. In his first season, Kacharava scored only one goal - however, in the following seasons Kacharava cemented his spot in the first team, becoming a prolific scorer and one of the top forwards in the league.[3] He attracted attention throughout Europe, eventually transferring to Rostov during one of their most successful seasons.[4]

He spent the 2016–17 season on loan in Cyprus at Ethnikos Achna, scoring 16 goals and becoming the third-best scorer of the 2016–17 Cypriot First Division.[5]

On 18 June 2017, he signed another year-long loan deal, joining the Polish club Korona Kielce.[6]

On 6 June 2018, Kacharava signed a two-year contract with the Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta.[7] On 24 January 2020, he signed a two-year contract extension, with a buy-out clause of €500,000.

On 8 February 2022, Kacharava joined South Korean K League 2 club Jeonnam Dragons.[8] A year later he returned to Georgia and moved to Torpedo Kutaisi, but left the club by mutual consent after three months.[9]

In August 2023, Kacharava signed a contract with Lithuanian club Panevėžys until the end of the season with an option of its extension.[10]

In July 2024, newly promoted second-division Cypriot club Spartakos Kitiou announced signing Kacharava.[11]

International career

Kacharava was born in Cyprus to parents of Georgian descent – his father Kakhaber Kacharava was a member of the Georgia national team and his mother Lia Mikadze was a basketball player.[12] Kacharava had successful stints with the Georgian youth national teams, and made his debut for the senior Georgian national team in a friendly 0–0 tie with Kazakhstan.[13]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tskhinvali2013–14Umaglesi Liga100010
2014–15Umaglesi Liga2512653117
2015–16Umaglesi Liga151321211915
Total412586215132
Rostov2015–16Russian Premier League000000
Ethnikos Achna (loan)2016/17Cypriot First Division2716202916
Korona Kielce (loan)2017–18Ekstraklasa26732299
Anorthosis Famagusta2018–19Cypriot First Division2343210276
2019–20Cypriot First Division18630216
2020–21Cypriot First Division20000020
2021–22Cypriot First Division8150131
Total511162606313
Lech Poznań (loan)2020–21Ekstraklasa711060141
Jeonnam Dragons2022K League 21020051153
Torpedo Kutaisi2023Erovnuli Liga143143
Panevėžys2023A Lyga7272
20241001110121
Total172110010193
Career total1936721111921023480

International goals

Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kacharava goal.[14]

List of international goals scored by Nika Kacharava
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 24 March 2017 1–0 1–3 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 5 September 2020 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia 1–0 1–0 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C
3 11 October 2020 Stadion Miejski, Tychy, Poland 1–1 2-2 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C

Honours

Panevėžys

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: სპორტული პორტალი - ნიკა კაჭარავა ყაზანის "რუბინის" 72-ე ნომერია. sportall.ge. 2016-05-06.
  2. Web site: Качарава Ника - Нападающий - Ростов - Kacharava Nika. news.sportbox.ru. 2016-05-06.
  3. Web site: სპორტული პორტალი - ნიკა კაჭარავა რუსულ, ბელგიურ და ჰოლანდიურ კლუბებს სურთ. sportall.ge. 2016-05-06.
  4. Web site: სპორტული პორტალი - რუსული მედია: "როსტოვმა" ნიკა კაჭარავაში 300 ათას ევრომდე გადაიხადა. sportall.ge. 2016-05-06.
  5. Web site: 2016-17 Cypriot First Division Topscorers. cfa.com.cy. Cyprus Football Association. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20170704204043/http://www.cfa.com.cy/En/scorers/2600767. 4 July 2017. en.
  6. Web site: Korona Kielce. Kaczarawa piłkarzem Korony!. 18 June 2017. pl. 18 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170623125613/http://korona-kielce.pl/news,10094-kaczarawa-pilkarzem-korony.html. 23 June 2017. dead.
  7. Web site: Anorthosis Famagusta FC. Στα κυανόλευκα ο Νίκα Κατσαράβα!. 7 June 2018. el.
  8. Web site: goal.com. [오피셜] 전남, 조지아 국가대표 장신 공격수 니카 카차라바 영입]. 8 February 2022. ko.
  9. Web site: ნიკა კაჭარავამ ქუთაისის "ტორპედო" დატოვა . footballnews.ge (in Georgian) . 26 May 2023.
  10. Web site: Puolimo grandį papildė kartvelas . fk-panevezys.lt (in Lithuanian) . 22 August 2023.
  11. Web site: ოფიციალურად - კაჭარავა ისევ კვიპროსში ითამაშებს . 1tv.ge (in Georgian) . 29 July 2024.
  12. Web site: Nika Kacharava: "I Leave for Austria with "Rubin" and also Prepare for Euro 2013".
  13. Web site: Georgia 1 - 1 Kazakhstan - Match Report & Highlights. skysports.com. 2016-05-06.
  14. Web site: Kacharava, Nika. National Football Teams. 1 May 2023.
  15. Web site: Nika Kaczarawa . 90minut.pl . 13 January 2024 . pl.