.jpg) Dike in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Chinedu Dike | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-02-02)2 February 1987 (age 38) | ||
| Place of birth | Edmond, Oklahoma, United States | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2009 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 86 | (27) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | Indiana Invaders | 3 | (0) |
| 2010 | Portland Timbers | 23 | (10) |
| 2011–2013 | Portland Timbers | 23 | (6) |
| 2012 | →Los Angeles Blues (loan) | 10 | (6) |
| 2013–2015 | Toronto FC | 11 | (1) |
| 2015 | →San Antonio Scorpions (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 2016 | Amkar Perm | 4 | (0) |
| 2017 | Pahang FA | 8 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2012–2014 | Nigeria | 2 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Chinedu "Bright" Dike (born 2 February 1987) is a retiredfootballer who played as aforward. Born in theUnited States, he played for theNigeria national team.[1]
Born inEdmond, Oklahoma, Dike attendedEdmond North High School, and playedcollege soccer at theUniversity of Notre Dame from 2005 to 2009, redshirting his junior season in 2007. As a senior, he started all 21 games for the Irish, led the team in goals (12) and total points (29), and was named to the all-Big East Championship team.[2]
During his college years Dike also played one season with theIndiana Invaders in theUSL Premier Development League.[3]
Dike was drafted in the first round (12th overall) of the2010 MLS SuperDraft byColumbus Crew.[4] However, after training with the club all preseason, he did not make the squad and was released. On 7 April 2010, Dike signed a one-year contract withPortland Timbers.[5] He made his professional debut on 22 April 2010 in a game againstAC St. Louis.[6]
Dike recorded his first professionalhat trick by scoring three goals in a 22 June 2010US Open Cup match vs. theKitsap Pumas.[7] During the 2010USSF D2 Pro League season Dike appeared in 23 matches for Portland in which he scored 10 goals.
On 19 October 2010 Dike was named as one of the first four players to be signed by thePortland Timbers ahead of their expansion intoMajor League Soccer in 2011, along withSteve Cronin,Ryan Pore andEddie Johnson.[8] Dike was loaned toUSL Pro clubLos Angeles Blues on 8 May 2012[9] and recalled to Portland on 10 July 2012.[10] After returning to the Portland, Dike scored 5 goals in the remaining 11 games of the season.[11]
On 8 February 2013, it was announced that Dike suffered a torn leftACL in a preseason match againstSeattle Sounders FC and was expected be out until at least August 2013.[11]
Dike was traded toToronto FC in September 2013 along with a2015 first round draft pick and allocation money in exchange forMaximiliano Urruti and aninternational roster spot.[12] Dike scored his first goal for Toronto on 28 September 2013, the game-winner in a 4–1 victory overD.C. United. Dike scored the volley off of a cross byMark Bloom.[13] Following impressive form with the national team, Toronto FC arranged a training stint for Dike atCeltic of theScottish Premiership following the 2013 MLS season.[14] At this time, speculation also arose that bothHull City andQueen's Park Rangers were interested in signing the striker.[15] On 9 December 2013, it was reported that Dike had returned to Toronto from Celtic without an offer for the player at that time.[16] On 20 February 2014 Dike suffered the injury while training with Toronto FC, according to Goal.com. The injury is expected to keep him out for the year and will prevent him from participating in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Dike had previously suffered a similar injury while playing with the Portland Timbers.
On 27 April 2015 he was loaned out toNorth American Soccer League squadSan Antonio Scorpions for an undeclared time being, to exercise first team playing time.[17] Dike was waived by Toronto on 4 August 2015.[18]
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On 20 February 2016, Dike signed an 18-month contract withRussian Premier League sideFC Amkar Perm.[19] Dike was released by the club on 24 May 2016.[20]
Dike signed for Pahang FA before the 2017 Malaysia League's transfer window closed. He scored on his debut againstT-Team in the Malaysia Super League. Where he helped Pahang toMalaysia FA cup semi final by scoring third goal in first leg quarter final againstJDT, which saw the former won on aggregate 4–3.[21] He was released during mid season transfer window and before the FA cup final the when the club decided to replaced him withYamil Romero.[22]
On 11 November 2012, Dike received a call up to the Nigerian national team for a friendly against Venezuela in Miami.[1] On 14 November 2012 he made his international debut for the Super Eagles in a 3–1 victory overVenezuela in afriendly atMarlins Park inMiami, Florida. He started the match and played 68 minutes.[23] Dike earned his second call up with the national team as part of the provisional 32-man roster in December 2012 as Nigeria prepared for friendlies againstCatalonia andCape Verde in preparation for the2013 Africa Cup of Nations.[24] On 2 January 2013 Dike scored his first goal for Nigeria in a 1–1 draw in the unofficial friendly against Catalonia, a side that featuredCarles Puyol,Xavi, andGerard Pique.[25] Despite being called a "new sensation", Dike was left off of the roster for the match against Cape Verde and was not selected for Nigeria's final 23-man roster for the African Cup of Nations tournament.[26]
In November 2013, Dike was called back into the Nigerian squad as a replacement for the injuredUche Nwofor ofSC Heerenveen for the second leg of Nigeria's2014 FIFA World Cup qualification playoff match againstEthiopia and a friendly againstItaly. About bringing Dike back into the squad, Nigeria head coachStephen Keshi said, "We are bringing (Dike) into the squad because we know what he is capable of doing and we believe he is fully fit to deliver".[27] Dike dressed and was on the bench for the Ethiopia match but did not play.[28] Two days later, Dike started in the friendly match against Italy and scored his first official goal for the Super Eagles in the 35th minute with an assist byShola Ameobi.[29]
Dike suffered a torn Achilles during practice in February 2014 that forced him out of the running for participating in the World Cup for Nigeria under Stephen Keshi.[30] Stephen Keshi later confirmed that he would have been on the roster for Brazil had he not been injured, saying "He would have been here, yes. It's a shame. But that's football."[31]
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 November 2013 | Craven Cottage, London, England |  Italy | 1 – 1 | 2 – 2 | Friendly | [29] |
His sisterCourtney is also a soccer player,[32] who played for theNigeria women's national under-20 football team the2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup inCanada.[33] She scored the fastest goal in the History of theFIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, after 18 seconds against Korea on 10 June 2014.[34] His brotherDaryl is also a soccer player, having represented theUVA Cavaliers in college before being signed in the MLS Superdraft byOrlando City SC.
He is the cousin ofSuper Eagles strikerEmmanuel Emenike.[35]