Sam Okafor Explained

Sam Okafor
Fullname:Samuel Amaechi Okafor[1]
Birth Date:1982 3, df=y
Birth Place:Xtiam, Nigeria
Height:5feet[2]
Position:Midfielder
Youthclubs1:Colchester United
Years1:1998–2001
Caps1:1
Goals1:0
Years2:2001
Clubs2:Dover Athletic (loan)
Caps2:4
Goals2:0
Years3:2001–2002
Totalcaps:5
Totalgoals:0

Samuel Amaechi Okafor (born 17 March 1982) is a Nigerian former footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder for Colchester United.

Career

Born in Xtiam, Nigeria, Okafor made his first and only Football League appearance at the end of the first-year of his three-year scholarship at Colchester United.[3] His only game came against Blackpool on 8 May 1999, a 2–1 defeat at Bloomfield Road. He came on as a half-time substitute for David Gregory.[4] [5]

Although he made no further appearances for the club, Okafor remained with the U's for the duration of his three-year scholarship. He also had first-team experience while out on a work experience loan at Dover Athletic in the Conference, where he made four appearances between March and May 2001.[3] [6] At the end of the 2000–01 season however, he was released by Colchester after the club's management decided he did not possess enough quality for Division Two football at the time.[3]

After leaving Colchester, Okafor went on to play for non-league teams including Sittingbourne,[2] Enfield, Hampton & Richmond Borough and Bromley while gaining a career in the City of London.[3]

Personal life

Following his short football career Okafor became involved in the banking industry. Okafor married in 2003 but divorced in 2017 before re-marrying in 2017. He has four children in total, two of his own and two step children with his new wife Grace Okafor whom he married in October 2017.Despite growing up in South London, Okafor supports North London based team Arsenal FC.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Colchester United – Player profile . Coludata.co.uk . 20 May 2013.
  2. Web site: Sam Okafor – Football Stats – Soccer Base . Soccerbase . 20 May 2013.
  3. Book: Whitehead . Jeff . Drury . Kevin . The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years . 2008 . Breedon Books . Derby . 978-1-85983-629-3 . 183.
  4. Web site: Colchester United – Match details – Blackpool 2–1 Colchester Utd . Coludata.co.uk . 20 May 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120529161502/http://www.coludata.co.uk/matchdetails.asp?mid=2903 . 29 May 2012 .
  5. Web site: COLCHESTER UNITED:1950/51–1989/90 & 1992/93–2011/12 . Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database . 20 May 2013.
  6. Web site: Dover FC Player Appearances – Past & Present – Soccer Base . Soccerbase . 20 May 2013.