Junior Agogo

Junior Agogo

Personal information
Full name	Manuel Agogo
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Nottingham Forest
Number	23
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:47, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Manuel "Junior" Agogo (born 1 August, 1979 in Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanaian football (soccer) player. He is a striker, currently playing for Nottingham Forest.

Sheffield Wednesday

He began his career at Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in 1995, but only made two league appearances for the Owls. During the 1999-2000 season he had loan spells at Oldham Athletic, Chester City, Chesterfield, and Lincoln City. While at Chester, his goal against Cheltenham Town in October 1999, was voted the second-best goal ever scored at the Deva Stadium.

United States

After leaving Sheffield Wednesday Agogo moved to the United States in 2000 to play for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer. He was traded to the Colorado Rapids after playing just one match in Chicago, going on to score 15 goals in 32 appearances for the Rapids.

He was traded from Colorado to the San Jose Earthquakes in June 2001 for Chris Carrieri. He played with the Earthquakes for the rest of the 2001 championship season but was waived early in the 2002 preseason, replaced on the San Jose roster by Devin Barclay.

=Back in England

In 2002, Agogo returned to England, this time for Queens Park Rangers. After only two appearances, however, he moved to Football Conference side Barnet where he scored 21 goals in 39 games.

Bristol Rovers

In the summer of 2003, Agogo joined Football League Two side Bristol Rovers F.C., where he played the first thirteen games in his first season before having to have an operation which kept him out for the next nine games. He finished 2003-04 campaign with 22 goals in all competitions.

In May 2004, the side had stayed at a hotel in Doncaster, and latterly Agogo was accused by a waitress of rape. Cleared of all allegation at a February 2005 trial at Sheffield Crown Court, the continual allegation throughout the season effected his performance. In the 2005-06 season, Agogo scored 18 goals from 44 appearances in all competitions.

During his Rovers career, he had many different strike partners, including Lee Thorpe and Richard Walker.

Nottingham Forest

Agogo moved to League One side Nottingham Forest F.C. on August 30, 2006.. He made made his league debut for Forest as a sub in a home 4-0 win against Chesterfield on September 3, 2006. He scored seven league goals over the season, with his first on September 30, 2006 against Swansea in a 3-1 win.

However, the 2007-08 campaign has enhanced Agogo's reputation. Agogo has showed some excellent form this season, being praised for his all round ability as opposed to a natural striker's finish. He capped off a terrific performance against Gillingham F.C. with his first career hat-trick, netting three of Forest's four goals. He has netted two stunning strikes so far this season with a 35 yard lob of the goalkeeper in Forest's 3-0 win at Yeovil Town F.C. and a terrific 25-yard effort in Forest's 4-1 success against Southend United F.C.. Agogo scored his first goal since returning from the 2008 African Cup of Nations, netting the only goal for Forest in their 1-0 victory at Leyton Orient F.C., and had to wait another two months before he scored again, a brace in Forest's 3-1 home win over Cheltenham Town, giving him 13 goals this season to put Forest fourth in the league. A cult hero on the Forest Terraces he has his own song already entitled "Junior Agogo loves to pogo"

International

In May 2006, Agogo was called up for Ghana for a friendly against French league side OGC Nice; he did not make the final Ghanaian World Cup squad, however. He was recalled to the Ghana squad for the East Asia tour in which he faced Japan and South Korea.

On November 14, 2006, Agogo scored his first goal for Ghana, with the equalising goal in an international friendly match against Australia. Ghana drew 1-1 with Australia in the match, played at Loftus Road Stadium in England. He also scored the third goal in Ghana's 4-1 victory over Nigeria, played at Brenford's Griffin Park.

Agogo was called up to the Ghana squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He starred in the first game of the Cup, helping Ghana to a 2-1 victory over Guinea, after hitting the post with a header in the 20th minute. He then scored in the following game against Namibia, tapping home Michael Essien's cross for the only goal of the game.

Agogo then netted another goal, the winner in an African Cup of Nations quarter final game against Nigeria. Ghana missed out on the final, however, and had to settle for a third-place play-off against the Ivory Coast, in which he scored again in 4-2 victory for Ghana. He scored three of Ghana's eleven goals in the Africa Cup of Nations, thus becoming his nation's top scorer alongside Sulley Muntari.

Honours

• League One runner-up with Nottingham Forest, 2008

External links

• Junior Agogo at Soccerbase
• Manuel Agogo at Soccerbase – another profile for the same player