Julius Efosa Aghahowa (born February 12, 1982) is a former professional footballer from Nigeria who played as a striker. He was very popular for his back-flips celebration whenever he scored goals.

Early Life

Julius Aghahowa was born on the 12th of February, 1982, in Benin, the capital city of Edo State, which falls in the Southern part of Nigeria.

Career

Professional Career

Aghahowa started his career as a local police officer with the Police Machines before moving on to Bendel Insurance. Before the 1999 African Youth Championship, Aghahowa signed for Herning Fremad of the Danish lower division, but after excelling there, he desired to play for a more prestigious club. When he earned a deal with the Tunisians that predates the Herning Fremad pact, he eventually joined the Tunisian champions, Espérance.

Midway through the 2000–01 season, Aghahowa moved to Shakhtar Donetsk. Aghahowa scored the game-winning goal in extra time for Shakhtar against Dynamo Kyiv in the 2006 Ukrainian Championship, earning player of the match honors. Aghahowa left Shakhtar Donetsk after more than six years of playing to join Wigan Athletic.

For an undisclosed sum, he joined Wigan Athletic, where he made his Premier League debut on February 3 against Portsmouth. In one and a half years, Aghahowa failed to score for Wigan, and on June 20, 2008, he joined Kayserispor.

Aghahowa joined Shakhtar Donetsk on a free transfer on July 4, 2009, after Kayserispor released him. He previously played for Shakhtar from 2000 to 2007, and he expressed a strong desire to rejoin his former team. At the start of the 2010–11 campaign, he was loaned to PFC Sevastopol since he was unable to establish himself as a regular starter. After being cut at the end of the 2011–12 campaign, he announced his retirement from football in April 2013.

International Career

Aghahowa scored 14 goals in 32 games for the Nigerian national team, including their lone World Cup goal against Sweden in 2002. At the 2002 African Nations Cup, he surpassed all other Nigerian goal scorers. He also participated in the Summer Olympics in 2000.

Honors

Espérance

• 2000: Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1

Shakhtar Donetsk

• 2010: Ukrainian Premier League
• 2006: Ukrainian Premier League
• 2005: Ukrainian Premier League
• 2002: Ukrainian Premier League
• 2004: Ukrainian Cup
• 2002: Ukrainian Cup

Net Worth

According to the analysis from different online sources, Julius Aghahowa has an estimated net worth of $3 million.

Social Media Handles

Julius Aghahowa is active on social media platforms. He has a verified account on Instagram with over 23,000 followers. You can follow him on Instagram through the handle below.

Instagram: @julius_aghahowa