Onyekachi Apam: A defender overcoming adversity

• He is a Nigerian former professional footballer
• He represented Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Olympics
• He played for Seattle Sounders FC before he retired from football

Onyekachi Apam is a former defender and professional footballer from Nigeria who played for the Nigeria national team and represented them at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Born and raised in Abia State, the player began his career with Heartland, before moving to France to join OGC Nice where he spent four seasons and then left to join Stade Rennais.

He has been part of the Nigeria team since he made his debut in a match against Lesotho, which ended in a draw. His contribution to the team was immense and will always remain in their history. The former defender was part of the Nigeria squad at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and was also named in the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations two years later.

Onyekachi Apam.Photo/NBC Sports

He then moved to the United States to play for Seattle Sounders FC  and one year later, he announced his retirement from football. After retiring, he returned to Nigeria and started his football academy which provides training for young footballers. He is also a regular pundit on Nigerian football and is a regular guest on radio and television, who is often quoted in the Nigerian press.

Onyekachi Personal Life

Onyekachi Apam was born on December 30 1986, in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria and is of Igbo descent. He started playing football at a young age, quickly rising through the youth ranks of the local clubs he attended, where he was spotted by Heartland FC, one of the biggest clubs in Nigeria and was signed to their youth academy.

While playing for Heartland, he was spotted by European scouts who were impressed by his strength and athleticism. His agent was able to negotiate his move to France where he secured a contract with OGC Nice, a club that is known for developing young player’s talents.

His determination to achieve his dreams made him leave his country to go and pursue his career. On joining OGC Nice, he established himself as a regular starter and eventually moved to Stade Rennais, another Ligue 1 club.

Onyekachi Apam Defensive Career

Onyekachi began his career in his home area of Abia State, with Heartland and then moved to France where he joined OGC Nice, and made his debut for the club in a victory over Toulouse. He spent four seasons with Nice where he was a regular starter for the club and even became the club’s captain.

In the same season he was named the club’s captain, he left for Stade Rennais and made his debut for the club in a victory over Paris Saint-Germain. However, his career at Rennes was disrupted by injuries that saw him appear 23 times in four seasons.

Onyekachi Apam. Photo/Seattle Sonders FC

The player then moved to the United States to join Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer and made his debut for the club in a victory over the Portland Timbers. His ability to pass the ball and understanding made him a good defender who had the potential to be a top player though injuries let him down.

He retired from football in 2015 and will always be remembered for his strength, athleticism and aerial ability.

Onyekachi Apam Reasons for Retirement

After retiring from football for several reasons. First, he had struggled with injuries throughout his career and this limited him from giving his best. At the time of his retirement, he was 28 years old and was already approaching his prime as a professional footballer.

It was also a crucial moment for him in his career as he had a young family he wanted to spend more time with and by retiring, he got time to do this. The former defender also had several business interests he wanted to focus on after retiring from football, among them a football academy based in Abia State.