| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1969-11-29)29 November 1969 (age 55) | ||
| Place of birth | Aba, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back,left midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989 | Bendel Insurance | ||
| 1990 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale | ||
| 1991–1992 | ASEC Mimosas | ? | (?) |
| 1992–1996 | Vitesse Arnhem | 21 | (1) |
| 1996–1997 | San Jose Clash | 33 | (2) |
| 1997 | D.C. United | 17 | (4) |
| 1997–1998 | Elche | 1 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Watford | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 82 | (7) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990–1998 | Nigeria | 50 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2000–2006 | FC Dallas (Youth Coach) | ||
| 2007 | Nigeria U-17 (assistant coach) | ||
| 2007–2008 | Dolphins FC | ||
| 2009–2010 | Heartland F.C. (Chief Trainer) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Benedict "Ben" Iroha (born 29 November 1969) is a Nigerian former professionalassociation football player who played as aleft-back orleft midfielder.
Iroha started his career in Nigeria, scoring the first ever goal in the newly professional Nigerian league in 1990 forIwuanyanwu Nationale, who went on to win the league that year.[1]
Iroha was originally amidfielder before national coachClemens Westerhof converted him to playleft back. His club career in Europe was largely unsuccessful, and Iroha wasallocated toSan Jose Clash in 1996. Iroha ended up playing in the inaugural MLS match against D.C. United, and is credited with the league's first-ever assist.[2][3] The next season, he was traded toD.C. United, where he won the league title but was dropped to comply with salary restrictions. He entered negotiations with the team to re-sign his contract, but they were halted after Iroha was called up to the World Cup squad for Nigeria.[4] After a move to Spanish sideElche CF in 1997, he moved toWatford in December 1998, playing ten games for theHertfordshire side. A problem withbunions forced him to the sidelines, and he retired in March 2000.
Playing for theNigerian national team, he has featured in the1994 FIFA World Cup and the1998 FIFA World Cup as well as when they won the1994 African Nations Cup.
After retiring, he returned to the US to coach in the youth department ofFC Dallas. Most recently, he was an assistant with the Nigerian U-17 team that won the 2007FIFA U-17 World Cup and head coach of Nigeria'sDolphins FC. Iroha is on the staff ofHeartland of Owerri.
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