Tag: Osaze

Former West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Cardiff City forward Osaze Odemwingie scored his second goal in three games for his new side? Madura United in their 2-2 draw against Mitra Kukar.

Odemwingie joined the team last month on a free transfer, and after scoring in his debut game last week against Bali United, he fired blank against Persela before scoring as early as two minutes into their game against Mitra Kukar.

His team were however, unfortunate as a late goal eight minutes from time helped Mitra Kukar snatched a point to leave the home fans of Madura United disappointed.

Aside the two goals he has scored, the 35 year old has also picked up a booking after he was shown a yellow card against Persela, the only game he has failed to score so far.

His team are currently 8th on the log in the Indonesia Ligue 1, following a not too perfect start to the season which has seen them win just once, with a draw and a defeat in their other games leaving them on four points.

Peter Odemwingie will consider joining English Championship side, Bristol City, on a permanent basis this summer.

The 34-year-old Nigeria forward is on loan to Bristol City from Stoke City, where his contract will run out this season.

Stoke City are not willing to extend his stay at the Britannia Stadium which has led Odemwingie moving to the Championship side on loan till the end of this season.

Despite hoping for a Premier League return, Odemwingie will not rule out playing in the second tier and has spoken to the Robins manager, Lee Johnson, who shares same top-flight ambition with him.

“I spoke to a couple of people at Stoke who know Bristol City well and they talked well of the club. I then spoke to and had text messages with the manager (Lee Johnson) and had a positive feeling after that.

“I’ve told the manager I want promotion and he wants the same. The stadium is almost completed, they want to strengthen the squad and push for the play-offs next season, the finances are there, the city has a lot of potential and the club’s ambition is the same as mine.

“I still see myself as a Premier League player but, sometimes in life, you have to take a step backwards to take two forward. I think coming here was the right decision for me rather than waiting until the summer and looking then.

“I’m 34, but I started late in the game, I still feel young and can play for another couple of years. Stoke are not offering me a new contract and I’m in the shop window. Hopefully, that will be good for me and good for Bristol City. It’s a win-win situation,” Odemwingie said.

The former Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion man was impressive in his debut as he came off the bench to inspire Bristol City to a 2-1 win after they trailed 0-1 at the break on Saturday.

However, Odemwingie knows he has to make a good impression on Ashton Gate faithful in their battle for survival to earn himself a permanent deal.

“I cannot afford to look too far ahead, because the really important thing is the here and now and keeping Bristol City in the Championship. If the next two months go well for me and for the club, then we will see what the future holds. In the meantime, I have to prove to myself that I can get back to the level I was once at and show the manager here what I can do.

“I had a serious injury (cruciate knee ligament) last season and I need to test myself. I had a good pre-season, but friendlies are not the same as league games. I did not get that opportunity at Stoke and have come here to work hard and, hopefully, get games here,” he said.

MARK HUGHES has confirmed that Nigeria international Peter Osaze Odemwingie, is set for a two-week spell on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury in training.

The news is a blow to the Nigerian international who endured a frustrating 2014/15 campaign after suffering knee ligament damage in the 1-0 triumph over Manchester City last August.

He did however make a full recovery back from that to feature in the latter stages of last season, and built upon that during the Potters’ hectic pre-season schedule.

Odemwingie stepped off the bench against Liverpool in last Sunday’s 2015/16 curtain-raiser, but will take no part in Saturday’s trip to White Hart Lane.

“Unfortunately Peter has got a hamstring strain and is likely to miss the next couple of weeks,” Hughes said at the pre-match press conference.

“It’s disappointing for him because he has worked tremendously hard throughout pre-season.”

Nigerian international, Peter Odemwingie is not about to call time on his career.

Odemwingie, 34, made his debut for the Nigeria national football team in 2002 but last turned out for the Super Eagles in 2014 at the FIFA World Cup.

He has represented his country at U-23 level previously, helping the Dream Team win Silver in the men’s football event at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

At senior level, Odemwingie has played over 60 times including at two World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles.

Odemwingie, currently on the books of Barclays English Premier League club, Stoke City has however declared that he is not about to retire from the sport that brought him fame and fortune.

“I’ve not given it too much thought to be honest, and I could remain in sport. But I definitely do want to get some more education. You never know what will happen next in life….do you?,” Odemwingie asked rhetorically when quizzed by duckstoke.co.uk.

The forward is now setting his sights on a successful season with the Potters whose fans have taken to him like a duck to water.

“I was always surprised how quickly Stoke fans took to me. I came here and fans saw I was really happy with the move. Everything about the club was right for me. The reception I had that day at comeback game was truly amazing.

“Ryan Shawcross has been here a number of years and even he said at training during the next week that he had not heard anything quite like it,” he said.

Nigerian international Peter Osaze Odemwingie was in action for 61 minutes as Stoke City suffered penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Everton on Wednesday evening in the opening fixture of the 2015 Barclays Asia Trophy.

The former Locomotive Moscow, West Brom and Cardiff City striker, who would have wished to celebrate his 34th birthday with a goal to his name, was left to rue the best chance of the opening stages of the game.

Odemwingie will be thinking he should have given the Potters the lead in the 11th minute when burst onto Ollie Shenton’s cross at the Singapore National Stadium. He was replaced in the 61st minute by van Ginkel.

Odemwingie, who joined the Potters in January 2014, recovered from a serious knee injury which sidelined him for eight months to return to action in April.

Odemwingie who was recently handed a new one-year contract extension with the Premier League club will remain at the Britannia Stadium until the end of the 2015-16 campaign, with an option of a further 12 months.

Nigeria striker Osaze Odemwingie has said he would love to sign a new contract at Stoke City but on merit and not through sentiments.

The 33-year-old forward returned to action for ‘The Potters’ at the weekend in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland where he played 10 minutes after coming back from an eight-month lay off due to a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The former Locomotiv Moscow forward’s current contract expires at the end of this season and he wants to prove himself worthy of a new deal.

“I have been training well and I am 100 per cent now. But I need to test myself and I don’t want it (a new deal) to be a sentimental decision. I want to prove my fitness and prove that I can help this team a lot. That’s what I’m doing, not pushing talks. It would be excellent for me to stay and continue from where I left off,” he stated.

“I feel I am even better since I came on for 10 minutes on Saturday, so I think I will only get better and then we will have that talk.”

He stressed the healthy relationship he enjoys with Mark Hughes and relishes the faith the Stoke boss has shown in him.

“I really enjoy working with the manager and staff, working at the training ground with the atmosphere, and especially at the stadium. The fans have also encouraged me and hopefully I will be scoring a goal before the end of the season.

“If I can do well and the manager sees me as someone who can help the club, then I am happy to stay. But I don’t want it to be on sentiment, I want it to be on merit.”

Osaze said he hopes to see action again this Saturday when they visit  Swansea City.

“On their day they can beat any team in the country,” he warned, “and they have had a few good results lately. I will hopefully play a few more minutes on Saturday and maybe 45 minutes for the reserves next week to really test my knee.

“But it is very good. Even since the game my knee has improved. I’ve had a couple of good training sessions with five v five, which are the hardest, so hopefully I will get a few more minutes in the next couple of games.”

Osaze Odemwengie returned from an eight months’ injury lay-off and played beautifully for 10 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-1 draw against Sunderland in a Premier League tie on Saturday, which has now earned him praise from his manager Mark Hughes as an ‘intelligent footballer’.

The Nigerian, who joined the Britannia side in January, 2014, came off the bench on 80 minutes to replace Jonathan Walters and make his first appearance since August 2014 due to knee ligament damage.

“One of the real positives from the game was seeing Peter Odemwingie back out there on the pitch again,” the manager told the club’s website.

“I think everybody saw how well he looks and that is a real positive for us all. He looked incredibly bright and sharp out there. Peter is a very good footballer and you don’t lose your football intelligence, even if you have had a serious an injury like he has had.

“We will kick him on now and hopefully he will play a big part between now and the end of the season.”

Stoke are having a fine season as they are very safe from relegation worries and are currently placed ninth with 47 points after 34 matches.

Nigeria international Osaze Odemwingie has revealed he almost came to tears after the warm reception he got from the Stoke fans on his return to action after eight months out injured. The former Cardiff City forward saw action for 10 minutes as his side drew 1-1 at home to Southampton.

He was given a rousing welcome by the team’s fans as they sang his name through the game against Southampton on Saturday, and gave him a loud ovation when he came on.

“I’m really pleased to be back – it was a very emotional moment for me, I was at a point where I almost cried,” he told the Stoke City website.

“I was really pleased with the reception from the Stoke fans, I can see how they see me and they’ve probably been one of the biggest motivations in me coming back. Big thanks for such a warm reception Potters! Should have won today with so many chances. @Charlie26Adam thank you for another belter!!,” he later tweeted.

Osaze has now stated that he hopes to score to appreciate the fans in the remaining league games that he will feature in.

 “I just hope I can finish this season strongly and hopefully get a goal for the fans, I think that would be a great way to repay them for their magnificent support,” he further said.

“Throughout the seven months since the operation, I have really worked hard to make sure I caught a few games at the end of the season. The motivation to do that has been so strong for me that I am willing to risk it so I can contribute to the season and continue the aggressive strengthening at the end of the season.

“I also have to give a massive thanks to our medical team who have done a really great job and I just hope I can contribute to the great season we’re having so far and help us finish in the top 10.”