Selangor have reportedly snapped up a new central defender in the form of Nigerian international, Ugo Ukah.
The 32 year-old will join the Red Giants as a direct replacement for Rob Cornthwaite, who was released due to his battles with injuries in 2016.
Ugo, who started his career with Parma’s youth set-up in Italy, has played in a myriad of teams across Europe, including an ill-fated stint with English side, Queens Park Rangers.
His best years in football were spent with Polish side Widzew Łódź, where he was instrumental in their second division title triumphs between 2008 and 2010.
He went on to even win the Serbian Cup with FC Čukarički in 2014, before signing for AEL Kalloni FC in Greece – the club he eventually left to join Selangor.
WHAT CAN SELANGOR FANS EXPECT FROM UGO UKAH?
Based on reviews from Nigerian journalists and fans of clubs that he’s played for, Ukah is an exceptional reader of the game. His positioning is relatively decent, and he has the knack of making crucial interceptions. His physical prowess is particularly good, though the Nigerian international is also a ball-playing defender. While he does play for Nigeria, Ukah was born and raised in Italy, and he was ultimately the product of a renowned youth set-up in Parma. Considering the Italians put a strong emphasis on developing technical qualities from a very young age, you’d expect Ukah to be a discplined with his positioning.
But of course, there are several concerns as well. Ukah hasn’t exactly played in top class European leagues. His only stint with a big team was QPR, though he barely made an impact there. He only had one cap for the national team as well. Ukah is also 32 years-old right now, and fans are right to wonder if he still has enough gas in the tank, to cope with the rigorous Malaysian football schedule. The other concern is his discipline record on the pitch. Ukah seems to have the knack of picking up yellow cards and red cards. Just a few years back, he was reportedly fined by Śląsk Wrocław for picking up a red card merely minutes into the second half. According to reports from AllNigeriaSoccer.com, Ukah had accumulated a total of 21 yellow cards and 2 red cards in just four seasons.
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