Samuel Kalu
_56_(cropped).jpg) Kalu with Bordeaux in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Kalu Ojim[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 August 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Aba, Abia State, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Botev Plovdiv | ||
| Number | 90 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2016 | GBS Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2017 | AS Trenčín | 32 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | Gent | 48 | (10) |
| 2018–2022 | Bordeaux | 72 | (9) |
| 2022–2024 | Watford | 13 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | → Lausanne-Sport (loan) | 21 | (3) |
| 2025– | Botev Plovdiv | 23 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018– | Nigeria | 16 | (2) |
Medal record | |||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 June 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 13 November 2019 | |||
Samuel Kalu Ojim (born 26 August 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as winger for Bulgarian First League club Botev Plovdiv.
Club career
[edit]Kalu started his football career at GBS Academy in Jos, Nigeria.
AS Trenčín
[edit]On 9 December 2015, Kalu agreed to sign a two-year contract with Slovak side AS Trenčín,[3] a partner club with GBS Academy at the time. He made his professional debut for Trenčín against Slovan Bratislava on 27 February 2016.[4]
Gent
[edit]On 4 January 2017, after his impressive displays in the Slovak League with Trenčín, Kalu was transferred to Belgium top division club KAA Gent.[5]
Bordeaux
[edit]On 6 August 2018, Kalu signed for Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, signing a five-year contract.[6] He was handed the number 10 jersey on arrival.
On 15 August 2021, Kalu collapsed in a game against Marseille. He was able to get up and walk off the pitch with his teammates’ help while holding an ice pack against his head. Eight minutes later, he was substituted off for Rémi Oudin.[7]
Watford
[edit]On 26 January 2022, Kalu joined Premier League club Watford on a three-and-a-half-year deal until 2025.[8]
FC Lausanne-Sport
[edit]On 7 September 2023, Kalu joined Swiss Super League club FC Lausanne-Sport on a season long loan from Watford.[9]
FC Botev Plovdiv
[edit]In September 2025, Kalu joined Bulgarian First League club Botev Plovdiv after leaving Watford as a free agent. Following an impressive debut season, he signed a contract extension with the club until 2029 in July 2026, ending speculation over his future after attracting interest from several clubs.[10]
International career
[edit]On 13 October 2018, he scored his first international goal with the Nigeria senior national team against Libya. He scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory.
Kalu collapsed whilst participating in a team training session during the AFCON 2019 held in Egypt. Though rumours had it that he suffered a heart attack, this was later debunked as he collapsed as a result of severe dehydration. He was later released from the hospital to link up with the rest of the squad in Alexandria.
Personal life
[edit]Kalu's mother was released on 5 March 2019, having been kidnapped six days previously.[11]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 3 February 2024[12]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AS Trenčín | 2015–16 | Slovak Super Liga | 13 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 17 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | Slovak Super Liga | 19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 5[a] | 1 | 27 | 3 | ||
| Total | 32 | 4 | 7 | 2 | — | 5 | 1 | 44 | 7 | |||
| Gent | 2016–17 | Belgian First Division A | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[b] | 1 | 19 | 4 | |
| 2017–18 | Belgian First Division A | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 36 | 7 | ||
| Total | 48 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 55 | 11 | |||
| Bordeaux | 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7[b] | 0 | 32 | 4 |
| 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | ||
| Total | 72 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 86 | 10 | ||
| Watford | 2021–22 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| FC Lausanne-Sport | 2023–24 | Swiss Super League | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 3 | |
| Total | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 178 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 211 | 31 | ||
- ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League and one in UEFA Europa League
- 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
[edit]- As of matches played on 13 November 2019[13]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2018 | 6 | 1 |
| 2019 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 13 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kalu goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 October 2018 | Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nigeria |  Libya | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 13 November 2019 | Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria |  Benin | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Updated squad lists for 2021/22 Premier League". Premier League. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ↑ "Samuel Kalu". Watford F.C. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ↑ KALU A UDEH PODPÍSALI DVOJROČNÉ KONTRAKTY 09.12.2015, astrencin.sk
- ↑ Futbalnet / Únia ligových klubov / Fortuna liga / AS Trenčín - ŠK Slovan Bratislava futbal 27.02.2016, futbalnet.sk
- ↑ "Samuel Kalu signs three and a half year deal with Gent". Goal. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- ↑ "Samuel Kalu is Girondin!" (in French). 6 August 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ↑ "Bordeaux's Samuel Kalu collapses, returns to game before substituted off". 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ↑ "Official: Hornets Sign Kalu". www.watfordfc.com. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ↑ "Official: Lausanne Loan For Kalu". www.watfordfc.com. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ↑ "Samuel Kalu reveals how Botev president persuaded him to snub summer exit". Footy-Africa. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ Okeleji, Oluwashina (5 March 2019). "Nigeria winger Kalu's mother released by kidnappers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ↑ Samuel Kalu at Soccerway
- 1 2 Samuel Kalu at National-Football-Teams.com
External links
[edit]- Samuel Kalu at WorldFootball.net
- Samuel Kalu at Soccerway
- Futbalnet Profile
- AS Trenčín official club profile
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Nigerian men's footballers
- Nigerian expatriate men's footballers
- Men's association football wingers
- AS Trenčín players
- KAA Gent players
- FC Girondins de Bordeaux players
- Watford F.C. players
- FC Lausanne-Sport players
- Slovak First Football League players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Ligue 1 players
- Premier League players
- Footballers from Aba, Nigeria
- 2019 Africa Cup of Nations players
- Expatriate men's footballers in Slovakia
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Slovakia
- Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- Expatriate men's footballers in France
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in France
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- Nigeria men's international footballers
- English Football League players
- 21st-century Nigerian sportsmen
- Footballers from Abia State