Joseph Yobo
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Yobo
Date of birth	6 September 1980 (1980-09-06) (age 29)
Place of birth	Kono, Nigeria
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position	Centre Back
Club information
Current club	Everton
Number	4
Youth career
1996–1997	Michellin Port-Harcourt[1][2]
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998–2001 2001–2003 2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–	Standard Liège Olympique Marseille → CD Tenerife (loan) → Everton (loan) Everton	046 (2) 023 (0) 000 (0) 024 (0) 188 (8)
National team2
2001–	Nigeria	064 (5)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:11, 8 November 2009 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 20:39, 17 October 2009 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Joseph Yobo (born 6 September 1980 in Kono, Nigeria [1]) is a Nigerian football defender currently playing with English Premier League club Everton. He is the current assistant captain of the Nigerian national team, and engaged to former beauty queen Adaeze Igwe ^[3]

He is the younger brother of former Nigeria international Albert Yobo. At the beginning of July 2008, his younger brother Norum Yobo^[4] was kidnapped in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and held for ransom. He was eventually released after 12 days on 17 July, 2008^[5].

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Club career

Joseph Stephen Yobo was born in Kono in Southern Nigeria, but he grew up in Port Harcourt and is close friends with Crewe Alexandra's George Abbey with whom he grew up.^[6] He later consulted with Abbey when deciding whether to move to England.^[6]

Yobo left Nigeria for Belgium to join Standard Liège in 1998. He made his first team debut in 2000, and went on to appear 46 times for the Jupiler League club. In 2001, he was bought by French club, Olympique Marseille.^[7] Soon after making his debut, Yobo was loaned to CD Tenerife in Spain. After around 9 months Yobo retuned to Marseille, before joining English club Everton, again on loan, in July 2002. A £1M fee was required to register the player, and he became the first signing of new manager David Moyes.^[8] An option to make the move permanent was taken up and completed in 2003 after a dispute between Yobo and Marseille was settled^[9], with Everton agreeing a fixed additional fee of £4M.^{[1] [10]}

Yobo became one of the most consistent players in the Everton squad, and was one of only seven players in the entire league to play every minute of every game throughout the 2006-2007 Premier League season^{[citation needed]}.

The delay, in 2006, in signing a new contract with Everton lead to rumours of a move to Arsenal,^[11] but on 22 July Yobo committed himself to Goodison Park until 2010. As of 15 April 2007 Joseph Yobo is the record appearance holder for an overseas player at Everton.^{[citation needed]} For the UEFA Cup match against AE Larissa of Greece on October 25 2007, Yobo was named as captain in the absence of Phil Neville and thus became the first African to captain the club.On the 16 May 2009 Yobo scored his first goal of the season against West Ham United to seal a 3-1 win .

[edit] International career

The Nigerian international played in the Super Eagles' three matches^[8] in Japan and South Korea, for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and even provided the assist for his side's only goal of the tournament^[9]. His play at international level has received positive reviews.^[12]

[edit] Charity Work

In 2007 Joseph Yobo set up the Joseph Yobo Charity Foundation, to help under-privileged children in Nigeria. As of 18 July 2007 he has handed out over 300 scholarship awards ranging from primary to university level. Yobo has started a football academy in the Ogoni region of Nigeria. He also runs football camps in Lagos., in conjunction with Everton Lagos F.C.

[edit] Career statistics

^{[13] [14]}

Updated on 30 October 2008.

[edit] Honours

Everton

• FA Cup
  • Runners Up (1): 2009

• CAF Awards - voted in best African XI for 2007/2008 season^[15]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Joseph Yobo Foundation Charity founded by Joseph Yobo
• BBC Coverage of Joseph Yobo Foundation
• International appearances

Nigeria Squads v • d • e Nigeria squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Shorunmu • 2 Yobo • 3 Babayaro • 4 Kanu • 5 Okoronkwo • 6 West • 7 Ikedia • 8 Adepoju • 9 Ogbeche • 10 Okocha • 11 Lawal • 12 Ejide • 13 Afolabi • 14 Udeze • 15 Justice • 16 Sodje • 17 Aghahowa • 18 Akwuegbu • 19 Ejiofor • 20 Obiorah • 21 Utaka • 22 Enyeama • 23 Opabunmi • Coach: Onigbinde v • d • e Nigeria squad – 2006 Africa Cup of Nations 1 Enyeama • 2 Yobo • 3 Taiwo • 4 Kanu • 5 Odiah • 6 Enakarhire • 7 Utaka • 8 Mikel • 9 Martins • 10 Okocha • 11 Lawal • 12 Ejide • 13 Yussuf • 14 Obinna • 15 Obiefule • 16 Oruma • 17 Aghahowa • 18 Obodo • 19 Makinwa • 20 Odemwingie • 21 Nwaneri • 22 Kaita • 23 Aiyenugba • Coach: Eguavoen v • d • e Nigeria squad – 2008 Africa Cup of Nations 1 Enyeama • 2 Yobo • 3 Taiwo • 4 Kanu • 5 Nwaneri • 6 Shittu • 7 Utaka • 8 Yakubu • 9 Martins • 10 Mikel • 11 Odemwingie • 12 Ejide • 13 Afolabi • 14 Olofinjana • 15 Uche • 16 Etuhu • 17 Makinwa • 18 Obinna • 19 Emeghara • 20 Okonkwo • 21 Eromoigbe • 22 Apam • 23 Aiyenugba • Coach: Vogts