Tope Delano
Joseph Yobo needs little or no introduction in the sporting world. Yobo was the captain of the Nigerian national team until his international football retirement in June 2014.
Here are 10 things you should know about him.
1. He was born Joseph Philip Yobo on 6 September 1980 in Koni, Rivers state, Nigeria.
2. Yobo’s football career started in 1996. He first played for Michellin-Harcourt. In 1997, before moving on to join Standard Liége Club which kick-off his professional senior football career.
3. He made his international debut in the year 2002 at the FIFA World Cup qualifier. With his help, Nigeria got it’s only goal at the 2002 World Cup qualifier.
4. He is married to former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Adaeze Yobo. The couple have three children. Spekaing on how she met her husband, Adaeze in an interview said;
“I met him in Nigeria through a friend at an event. From there, we became close friends. I became pregnant and we got married immediately. Everything happened in a very short time. A lot of people thought it wasn’t going to work but at that moment, I knew I felt something I had never felt with anyone in my life and I said to myself, why not take that chance? I’m quite prayerful , so I knew there’s no way I could err, though I never planned getting married so early. I had so many dreams of what I wanted in life. Marriage was the last thing on my mind. It happened so fast and I thought I should give it a shot.’
‘When we first met, I didn’t know who he is really. He didn’t know that I was the most beautiful girl in Nigeria. When I knew he was a footballer, I said to myself this relationship might not work or lead us anywhere, because of the lifestyle of some footballers who have so many girlfriends.”
5. He was a member of the Nigeria National Team (the Super Eagles) from the year 2001 to 2014. and made 101 FIFA international appearances, and also scored a total of 7 goals while there.
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6. On the 30th of June, 2014, he scored an own goal. The day coincided with his retirement from international football. He said, “I can look back on my career with great pride. I wanted to leave on a high for my country. Defeat by France was not the right way to go, but I’m happy with all I’ve done for the national team.”
7. Yobo is the first African to captain Everton.
8. He retired from football in 2016
9. Yobo as of 18 July 2007, handed out over 300 scholarship awards to students.
10. He started a football academy in Rivers state.
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