Chukwudi "Chidi" Odiah (born 17 December 1983) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a right-back. A former international, he was known for his work ethic, skills and attacking prowess.[1]
Odiah with CSKA Moscow in July 2009
| |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Chukwudi Odiah | ||
| Date of birth | (1983-12-17) 17 December 1983 (age 40) | ||
| Place of birth | Port Harcourt, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Eagle Cement | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Eagle Cement | 28 | (3) |
| 2000 | Julius Berger | 10 | (1) |
| 2000–2004 | Sheriff Tiraspol | 58 | (5) |
| 2004–2012 | CSKA Moscow | 105 | (3) |
| Total | 201 | (12) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2010 | Nigeria | 28 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Odiah began his career with Eagle Cement in the Nigeria Premier League before moving to Julius Berger F.C. in 2000, for which he played 10 games and won the league.
In late 2000, Odiah moved to Sheriff Tiraspol. He appeared in 58 games and scored five goals, becoming one of the major players in the team as they dominated Moldovan football and won many honours.
At the 2003 CIS Cup, Odiah drew the attention of CSKA Moscow and later joined the club a year later on a four-year contract.[2] He won the UEFA Cupin2005[3] and participated at the 2005 UEFA Super Cup,[4] as well as playing in the UEFA Champions League. He left CSKA by mutual consent on 16 February 2012.[5]
Chidi has represented his nation at various youth levels. He played for Nigeria U-17 national team to African U-17 Championship – winner of the tournament. On the next event, Meridian Cup, he was team captain. His premier match in the senior team took place in September 2004, in a match against Zimbabwe. Chidi also twice won the bronze medal with Nigeria senior team at the African Cup of Nations – 2006, 2010.
Odiah was chosen for the team of Nigeria to 2010 FIFA World Cup[6] and in the first match against Argentina came into the starting lineup, as well in the match with South Korea, he made goal assist.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| CSKA Moscow | 2004 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2005 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 3 | ||
| 2006 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2008 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 28 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 14 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 105 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 152 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 105 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 152 | 5 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2004 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 28 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 2008 | Abuja, Nigeria |  Sierra Leone |
4–1 | 4–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Julius Berger
Sheriff Tiraspol
CSKA Moscow
Nigeria
Nigeria U17
Individual