Lucky Izibor (photo below) is a former Nigerian professional footballer who played as a striker. In June 2013, he died from a long illness associated with weak immunity against HIV. During his career from 1995 to 2003 he played for such teams as Concord (Nigeria), Bellinzona (Switzerland), Koper (Slovenia), Enosis (Cyprus), Regina (Italy) , Dynamo Moscow (Russia), Suwon Samsung Bluewings (South Korea) and Zurich (Switzerland). He was a forward of the ram type, stood out among the rest with good physical data and impact force. Due to his height, which was 190 centimeters, Izibor played well on the "second floor".
Biography: early career of a football player
Lucky Izibor was born on January 1, 1977 in the Nigerian city of Benin City. When Lucky was a teenager, he moved to the city of Lagos, where he began his football career. Here he performed in youth systems of clubs in Nigeria and Congo. In 1995, it was accepted as the basis of the Concord team, for which it never made its debut. Months later, the footballer moved to Europe, where he signed a contract with a Swiss club called Bellinzona. During the 1995/96 season, he played for the pomegranate youth team.
Career at the Slovenian Koper and the Cypriot Club Enosis
The following season, Lucky Izibor received an offer from the Slovenian Koper club, with which he subsequently entered into a professional agreement. Here he immediately became a player in the main squad. During the season, he appeared on the field 12 times and scored two goals. I missed most of the domestic championship games due to injuries.
In the 1997/98 season, the Nigerian forward moved to Cyprus, where he began performing as part of the Enosis Club. He played for the "raspberry" for one year, taking part in 17 championship matches and became the author of four goals. Soon Izibor becomes a player in the Italian Regina, for which he spends four matches and falls into the main team.
Performances for Moscow Dynamo
In 1998, Lucky Izibor went on loan to the Dynamo Moscow club for two years. As part of the "blue and white" Nigerian quickly adapted and gained respect from teammates and management. The forward quickly impressed the coaching staff, demonstrating in training the pressure in building attacks and physical strength. However, it later became clear that he has significant problems with implementation and technology. For two seasons in Dynamo, the striker spent 51 matches in the Premier League and became the author of only five goals. It was here that Lucky Izibor first played in the UEFA Cup. In the 1998/99 Russian Cup, the team became a finalist, and the Nigerian striker was recognized as the top scorer with three goals.
The last years of his career
In 2000, Lucky loses his place at the base due to poor performance, against which he decides to leave the club. At the same time, the head coach of the “blue and white” Valery Gazaev, along with President Nikolai Tolstoy, asked the Nigerian to stay. However, Izibor considered another option - to pursue a career in the South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluvings. The Nigerian played very inconspicuously here - 5 matches and one goal scored during the 2000/01 season. The striker began to have health problems, so he missed most of the championship meetings.
In 2002, Lucky signed a contract with the Swiss club Zurich, where he could not make his debut at the base, and soon announced his retirement.
Cause of death
Lucky Izibor returned to Nigeria in 2004. In April, his good friend Dames Obiora, then a player in the Moscow Lokomotiv, reported in the press that Izibor was HIV-infected. Later, in 2006, Obiora stated that Izibor had passed away, but this information was soon refuted. Patrick Ovie, who, along with Lucky, played at Dynamo, told the media that he was quite healthy, doing business and advocating for semi-professional Nigerian football clubs. At the same time, the fact of AIDS infection was confirmed by forward agent Vladimir Abramov.
Lucky Izibor died on June 24, 2013 from the effects of AIDS. He was buried in the city of Agbor.