View source for Victor Ikpeba

{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 1973)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
|           name = Victor Ikpeba
|          image =
|       fullname = Victor Ikpeba Nosa
|         height = 1.74 m
|     birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|6|12|df=y}}
|    birth_place = [[Benin City]], Nigeria
|    currentclub =
|       position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
|         years1 = 1989
|         clubs1 = [[ACB Lagos]]
|          caps1 =
|         goals1 =
|         years2 = 1989–1993
|         clubs2 = [[RFC Liège]]
|          caps2 = 79
|         goals2 = 27
|         years3 = 1993–1999
|         clubs3 = [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]]
|          caps3 = 170
|         goals3 = 55
|         years4 = 1999–2002
|         clubs4 = [[Borussia Dortmund]]
|          caps4 = 30
|         goals4 = 3
|         years5 = 2001–2002
|         clubs5 = → [[Real Betis|Betis]] (loan)
|          caps5 = 3
|         goals5 = 0
|         years6 = 2002–2003
|          caps6 = 26
|         clubs6 = [[Al-Ittihad Club (Tripoli)|Al-Ittihad Tripoli]]
|         goals6 = 13
|         years7 = 2004
|         clubs7 = [[Royal Charleroi S.C.|Charleroi]]
|         caps7 = 15
|         goals7 = 5
|         years8 = 2005
|         clubs8 = [[Al Sadd SC|Al Sadd]]
|          caps8 =
|         goals8 =
| nationalyears1 = 1996
| nationalteam1  = [[Nigeria national under-23 football team|Nigeria U23]]
| nationalcaps1  = 6
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalyears2 = 1992–2002
| nationalteam2  = [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]]
| nationalcaps2  = 31
| nationalgoals2 = 7
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{NGA}}}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Football at the Summer Olympics|Football]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|Team Competition]]}}
}}
'''Victor Ikpeba Nosa''' (born 12 June 1973) is a Nigerian former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[forward (association football)|forward]]. Ikpeba played 31 international matches and scored seven goals for [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]]. He was a member of Super Eagles team to the [[FIFA World Cup]]s in [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994]] but played and scored the lone goal against Bulgaria in the second game of the team at the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]]. Ikpeba helped win the [[1994 African Nations Cup]] and the Olympic football gold medal in [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]].{{cn|date=June 2022}}

== Career ==
Ikpeba was discovered by Belgian club [[RFC Liège]] during the [[1989 FIFA U-17 World Championship]], and moved to play in Belgium together with teammate [[Sunday Oliseh]]. At the age of 20 and after scoring 17 goals in 1992–93, Ikpeba was bought by Monégasque side [[AS Monaco FC|AS Monaco]], then coached by [[Arsène Wenger]]. At Monaco, he gradually became a success, albeit with a tough start. He showed outstanding form subsequent to the [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympics]], scoring 13 league goals to help Monaco win the league title, and also finishing as the second-top goalscorer in the [[1996–97 UEFA Cup]]. His performances earned him the [[African Footballer of the Year]] award in 1997. Two successful seasons followed. While at Monaco, Ikpeba nearly signed for Italian club [[Reggina Calcio|Reggina]]. But his wife, unwilling to give up life in Monaco, locked him in their house on the day he was to sign his contract.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,2262171,00.html | title = Footballers whose loved ones have told them who to play for | work = The Guardian| date = 5 March 2008 | access-date = 11 February 2012 | first1 = Ban | last1 = McFarland | first2 = Paolo | last2 = Bandini}}</ref> Ikpeba played in [[Jean Tigana]]'s talented Monaco side which famously put [[Manchester United]] out of the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] in 1998 on away goals after a 1–1 draw at [[Old Trafford (football)|Old Trafford]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-monaco-and-bust-for-sorry-united-1151168.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220817/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-monaco-and-bust-for-sorry-united-1151168.html |archive-date=17 August 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Monaco and bust for sorry United |work=The Independent |date=19 March 1998 |access-date=30 December 2014}}</ref>

Ikpeba again teamed up with [[Sunday Oliseh]] at [[Borussia Dortmund]] in 1999, for a transfer fee of £4.8 million. Ikpeba scored only two goals in his first season in the [[Bundesliga]] and barely played in his second, after falling out with the coach [[Matthias Sammer]]. Looking for a move abroad, Ikpeba turned down [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] to join [[Real Betis]] on a season-long loan.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/1483087.stm | work = BBC Sport | title = Ikpeba rejects Saints for Betis | date = 9 August 2001 | access-date = 11 February 2012}}</ref> Things went further downhill for the player in [[La Liga|Spain]] as he was criticised for being overweight by the coach, after making just one appearance for the club. He didn't feature for Betis again up until the last two games of the season.

Ikpeba then signed a season-long contract with Libyan outfit [[Al-Ittihad Club (Tripoli)|Al-Ittihad Tripoli]], but only played out half of his contract with the club, as he quit the team over financial disagreements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoffnigeria.com/stories/story2636.html |title=Ikpeba thrilled with move |access-date=30 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107160934/http://www.kickoffnigeria.com/stories/story2636.html |archive-date=7 November 2006 }}</ref> After leaving Libya and spending almost a year without a club, Ikpeba returned to [[Belgium]], where he joined his former Liège coach at [[Royal Charleroi S.C.|Charleroi]]. After helping the club avoid relegation, Ikpeba came very close to signing with German side [[SC Freiburg]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoffnigeria.com/stories/story4645.html |title=Ikpeba joins German club |access-date=30 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107182900/http://www.kickoffnigeria.com/stories/story4645.html |archive-date=7 November 2006 }}</ref> but the deal fell through when it was revealed that the player had no [[EU passport]].<ref>http://www.kickoffnigeria.com/stories/story4838.html{{Dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> Ikpeba then had a short spell at [[Al Sadd SC|Al Sadd]] in [[Qatar]], before retiring from professional football.

== Style of play ==
In spite of his small physique, Ikpeba was a fast, versatile, and opportunistic forward, who was capable of playing as a [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]], as a [[second striker]], or on either [[winger (association football)|wing]], and was known for his ability to score from any position on the pitch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.solocalcio.com/gallery/stelle98/lestelle08.htm|title=Le stelle di Francia 98: da Pep Guardiola a Jugovic|publisher=SoloCalcio.com|language=it|access-date=28 March 2017}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Ikpeba now lives in [[Lagos]], and he co-hosts Monday Night Football on Supersport. His wife Atinuke died in May 2000 at the age of 26, after losing her battle with [[breast cancer]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inyang |first=Ifreke |date=2013-03-10 |title=If money could buy health, my wife would be alive — Victor Ikpeba |url=https://dailypost.ng/2013/03/10/if-money-could-buy-health-my-wife-would-be-alive-victor-ikpeba/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Daily Post Nigeria |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Honours ==
'''RFC Liège'''
*[[Belgian Cup]]: [[1989–90 Belgian Cup|1989–90]]

'''Monaco'''
*[[Ligue 1]]: [[1996–97 French Division 1|1996–97]]
*[[Trophée des Champions]]: [[1997 Trophée des Champions|1997]]

'''Al-Ittihad'''
*[[Libyan Premier League]]: [[2002–03 Libyan Premier League|2002–03]]

'''Nigeria'''
*[[Africa Cup of Nations]]: [[1994 African Cup of Nations|1994]]
*[[Summer Olympic Games|Olympic Games]]: [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Ebony Shoe Award]]: 1993
*[[African Footballer of the Year]]: 1997

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{NFT player|12743}}
* {{Worldfootball.net|victor-ikpeba}}
* {{kicker|victor-ikpeba}}
* {{Fussballdaten|victor-ikpeba}}

{{Navboxes
| title       = Awards
| bg          = Gold
| bordercolor = #000000
| list1       =
{{African Footballer of the Year}}
{{Ebony Shoe}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Nigeria squads
| bg    = #008751
| fg    = White
| list1 = 
{{Nigeria squad 1992 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Nigeria squad 1994 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Nigeria squad 1994 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Nigeria men's football squad 1996 Summer Olympics}}
{{Nigeria squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Nigeria squad 2000 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Nigeria squad 2002 African Cup of Nations}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikpeba, Victor}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Benin City]]
[[Category:Nigerian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Nigeria men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Africa Cup of Nations–winning players]]
[[Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1992 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:1994 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2000 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2002 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for Nigeria]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Nigeria]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:African Footballer of the Year winners]]
[[Category:ACB Lagos F.C. players]]
[[Category:RFC Liège players]]
[[Category:AS Monaco FC players]]
[[Category:Borussia Dortmund players]]
[[Category:Real Betis players]]
[[Category:Al Ittihad SCSC (Tripoli) players]]
[[Category:Royal Charleroi S.C. players]]
[[Category:Al Sadd SC players]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League players]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 players]]
[[Category:Libyan Premier League players]]
[[Category:Qatar Stars League players]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in football]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in France]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Monaco]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Germany]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Libya]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Libya]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar]]