Mike Emmanuel Okoro (born 30 December 1981 in Enugu, Nigeria) is a Nigerian retired professional footballer.[20]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 December 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Enugu, Nigeria | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| – | Kogi United F.C.[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000[2] | GKS Katowice | 14 | (1) |
| 2000 | Górnik Zabrze (trial)[3][4] | ||
| 2000–2001[5] | Amica Wronki II[6] | ||
| 2000–2001 | Amica Wronki[2] | 2 | (0) |
| 2001–2002[7] | Indian Telephone Industries | ||
| 2002–2004[8] | East Bengal F.C.[7] | ||
| 2004–2005 | Sparta Szamotuły[9] | ||
| 2005 | Lech Poznań (trial)[9] | ||
| 2005–2006[10] | East Bengal F.C.[11] | ||
| 2006–2009 | Mohammedan SC[10][12] | ||
| 2009 | Sparta Szamotuły | ||
| 2010 | JCT F.C. | 13 | (5[13]) |
| 2011 | Grom Plewiska[14] | ||
| 2011–2013 | Świt Piotrowo[15][16][17] | ||
| 2014–2015[18] | Pogoń Lwówek | 18 | (2) |
| 2015–2016[19] | Sokół Pniewy | 9 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Had a trial with BoIS alongside Zambian Chitalu Mpundu in 2005.[21]
Receiving offers from Germany, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Goa in view of his performances with Indian Telephone Industries during 2001/02,[1] Okoro ended up with East Bengal for the next season,[22] striking a hat-trick in a 4-1 rout of Hindustan Aeronautics.[23] Reuniting with East Bengal from Poland in 2005[24] despite interest from Dempo and Mahindra United months earlier.[25] Skipping the Red & Gold Brigade's encounter away to JCT to renew his Polish citizenship in February 2006,[26] the club reportedly owed Okoro 130000 Rupees when he visited Poland for citizenship reasons.[27] This amount was eventually given to him[27] despite them originally saying that he in fact owed them 334000 Rupees.[28]
Throughout his career, the Nigerian has been committed a series of transgressions, including pushing the referee in 2003[29] slapping a different referee while with Mohammedan in 2008 for "asking uncomfortable questions",[30] and breaching contract regulations by exchanging teams mid-season despite signing a one-year contract with Mohammedan in 2007.[31][32]
His baby, Juliette, died in 2005, the same year she was born.[33] With his Irish girlfriend Barbara, the striker took the educational responsibility of an orphan girl, who was then four years old.[34]