Erhun Obanor (born 5 September 1995) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Cypriot First Division club PAEEK on loan from the Croatian club Istra 1961.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1995-09-05) 5 September 1995 (age 27) | ||
| Place of birth | Benin City, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | PAEEK (on loan from Istra 1961) | ||
| Number | 40 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000–2012 | BJ Foundation Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | BJ Foundation Academy | ||
| 2012–2013 | → COD United (loan) | ||
| 2013–2015 | → Bendel Insurance (loan) | ||
| 2014–2015 | → Abia Warriors (loan) | ||
| 2016 | → MFM (loan) | ||
| 2016–2018 | Greuther Fürth | 0 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Rudeš | 23 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Kukësi | 26 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | KF Laçi | 27 | (0) |
| 2021– | Istra | 1 | (0) |
| 2022– | → PAEEK (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2014– | Nigeria U23 | 11 | (0) |
| 2014– | Nigeria | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:51, 6 January 2022 (UTC) | |||
A native of Benin City, Obanor is a product of the BJ Foundation Academy.[1] He was loaned out at the start of the 2012-2013 season to the second-tier side COD United F.C.[2] Mid-2013, he was loaned on to top-tier side Bendel Insurance.,[3] playing a season there before being sub-loaned to Abia Warriors F.C. until November 2015.[4] In January 2016, Obanor signed a 3.5-year long contract with the Tunisian greats Club Africain, but had to cancel it and return to Nigeria because of dubious transfer fee reasons.[5] In April 2016, he was loaned on by BJ Academy to MFM F.C.[6]
Obanor moved abroad, however, already in July 2017, signing for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in Germany,[7] joining the team in September of the same year, following the 2016 Summer Olympics.[7] However, he didn't break into the team, and found himself unable to get any playing time, his nationality preventing him from playing for the reserves.[8] His contract was finally rescinded in the summer of 2018, and he moved to NK Rudeš in Croatia.[9]
After two years playing in Albania for Kukësi and KF Laçi, Obanor returned to Croatia to sign for Istra in June 2021.[10]
Having only accumulated a single league appearance for the Croatian side in 2021, Obanor was sent in January 2022 on loan to the Cypriot First Division side PAEEK until the end of the season.[11]
Obanor was a member of the Nigeria national football team.[12] He was selected by Nigeria for their 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[13]