Brown Ideye
Aide Brown Ideye | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 11, 1988 Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2006–2024 |
| Known for | Playing as a striker for clubs including Dynamo Kyiv, West Bromwich Albion, Olympiacos, and Nigeria national team; 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner |
Aide Brown Ideye (born 11 October 1988) is a Nigerian professional footballer who most recently played as a striker for Enyimba. He has represented the Nigeria national team and was part of the squad that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Currently, Ideye holds the position of Director of Player Pathways and Partnerships at Atlantic Business Football Club.
Early career
Hailing from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Ideye started his football journey with Bayelsa United before transferring to Ocean Boys, where he contributed to their 2006 triumph in the Nigeria Premier League.
In January 2008, Ideye made the move to Europe by signing with Swiss Super League side Neuchâtel Xamax. Prior to joining Xamax, he trialed with Dutch club Willem II but did not secure a contract. After spending three seasons with Neuchâtel Xamax, he moved on to French top-flight team Sochaux competing in Ligue 1.
Dynamo Kyiv
On 6 July 2011, Ideye committed to a five-year deal with Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kyiv. He marked his debut on 16 July by scoring twice against Oleksandria, and replicated this performance in his following match against Obolon Kyiv. On 7 August 2012, Ideye netted the winning goal in a UEFA Champions League qualifying fixture versus Feyenoord, securing Dynamo’s progression. He also found the net against Borussia Mönchengladbach during the play-off round; although Dynamo lost 2–1 in that match, they advanced on aggregate. On 15 May 2014, Ideye was an unused substitute as Dynamo clinched the 2014 Ukrainian Cup Final by defeating Shakhtar Donetsk.
West Bromwich Albion
On 18 July 2014, Ideye signed a three-year contract with English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion for an estimated £10 million, becoming the club’s record signing at that time. The agreement included an option to extend for an additional year. After a slow start to his tenure, Ideye scored his first league goal on Boxing Day 2014 against Manchester City and went on to score four goals within six days in February 2015. This scoring spree encompassed Premier League goals against Burnley and Swansea City as well as two FA Cup goals against West Ham United.
Olympiacos
Ideye transferred to Greek side Olympiacos from West Brom on 31 August 2015 for an undisclosed fee, reportedly near €6 million. The chance to participate in the Champions League was a key factor influencing his decision to join the Athens-based club. On 20 October 2015, he scored the decisive goal in Olympiacos’ 1–0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb during the Champions League group stage. Despite receiving a lucrative offer from China in January 2016, Ideye opted to remain at Olympiacos and contributed to securing their sixth consecutive Superleague Greece championship on 17 April 2016.
Tianjin Teda
In January 2017, Ideye moved from Olympiacos to Chinese Super League team Tianjin Teda on a two-and-a-half-year deal worth €12 million. His contract, which extended through summer 2019, reportedly included an annual salary of €3.5 million.
Málaga (loan)
On 29 January 2018, Ideye secured a six-month loan move to Spanish La Liga club Málaga.
Aris
On 20 June 2019, Ideye committed to a one-year deal with Greek side Aris, earning an annual wage of €500,000.
He found the net for the first time in mid-September during a commanding 4–0 home triumph over Panathinaikos, marking the club's inaugural goal of the season. A week afterward, he scored the opening goal in a 2–2 away derby draw against PAOK. On 27 October, he successfully converted a penalty in a 2–0 home win versus Panetolikos. Following a two-match suspension, Ideye returned to score in a 3–1 away defeat to OFI on 14 December. Just five days later, he recorded a brace in a dominant 4–0 victory against Volos.
In January 2020, Ideye contributed goals in both legs of the Greek Cup round of 16 against Xanthi, playing a key role in Aris’s progression to the quarterfinal stage. On 22 February, he netted an equalizer during a 2–2 draw with Lamia. He also scored in the Superleague championship play-offs, despite a 3–1 defeat to Olympiacos on 14 June 2020.
Enyimba
In December 2024, Ideye joined Nigerian Professional Football League outfit Enyimba for the 2024–25 campaign. Upon leaving at the conclusion of the season, he publicly voiced concerns regarding player welfare and outstanding bonus payments at the club.
International career
Ideye represented Nigeria at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Canada, scoring once across five appearances. In May 2010, he was called up to the senior national team’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, replacing the injured Mikel John Obi. He was included in Nigeria's final 23-man roster for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored in the 4–1 semi-final victory over Mali and contributed to their narrow 1–0 win against Burkina Faso in the final. Additionally, Ideye was selected for Nigeria’s squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bayelsa United | 2006 | Nigeria Premier League | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 6 | ||
| Ocean Boys | 2006 | Nigeria Premier League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2007 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 10 | ||||
| Neuchâtel Xamax | 2007–08 | Swiss Super League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | 33 | 10 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 10 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 55 | 23 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 23 | ||||
| Sochaux | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 5 | |
| 2010–11 | 35 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 38 | 17 | |||
| Total | 52 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 58 | 22 | |||
| Dynamo Kyiv | 2011–12 | Ukrainian Premier League | 27 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 2 | 37 | 14 | |
| 2012–13 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 4 | 39 | 21 | |||
| 2013–14 | 19 | 3 | 3 | colspan="2"|- | 7 | 2 | 37 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 74 | 34 | 4 | 3 | — | 28 | 8 | 106 | 45 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2014–15 | Premier League | 24 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 30 | 7 | |
| 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 24 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 31 | 7 | |||
| Olympiacos | 2015-16 | Super League Greece | 23 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | 8 | 1 | 35 | 13 | |
| 2016-17 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | 30 | 15 | |||
| Total | 43 | 23 | 6 | 3 | — | 16 | 2 | 65 | 28 | |||
| Tianjin Teda | 2017 | Chinese Super League | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 4 | ||
| Málaga (loan) | 2017-18 | La Liga | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Aris | 2019-20 | Super League Greece | 22 | 8 | 5 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | 31 | 10 | |
| Göztepe | 2020-21 | Süper Lig | 30 | 2 | 1 | =1 | — | — | =31 | =3 | ||
| 2021-22 | 5 | =0 | =0 | =0 | — | — | =5 | =0 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 36 | 3 | ||||
| Al-Yarmouk | 2022-23 | Kuwaiti Division One | 0 | =0 | =0 | =0 | — | — | =0 | =0 | ||
| Career total | 364 | 132 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 48 | 10 | 442 | 159 | ||
International
- Statistics updated as of the match played on 31 May 2016. Nigeria's score is presented first, with the score column reflecting the state of the match immediately following each goal scored by Ideye.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 November 2012 | Marlins Park, Miami, United States | 5 | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 6 February 2013 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa | 11 | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3 | 31 May 2013 | NRG Stadium, Houston, United States | 14 | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 10 September 2013 | Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nigeria | 20 | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 6 | 31 May 2016 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | 25 | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
Honours
Ocean Boys
- Nigeria Premier League champion: 2006
Dynamo Kyiv
- Winner of the Ukrainian Cup: 2013–14
- Ukrainian Super Cup titleholder: 2011
Olympiacos
- Super League Greece champion: 2015–16
- Runner-up in the Greek Football Cup: 2015–16
Nigeria
- Champion of the Africa Cup of Nations: 2013
Individual
- Awarded Member of the Order of the Niger
External links
- 1988 births
- Living people
- People from Yenagoa
- Nigerian men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Nigeria men's international footballers
- Africa Cup of Nations–winning players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- Swiss Super League players
- Ligue 1 players
- Premier League players
- Ukrainian Premier League players
- Super League Greece players
- Chinese Super League players
- La Liga players
- Süper Lig players
- Nigerian expatriate men's footballers
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in France
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Ukraine
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Greece
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in China
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Kuwait
- Members of the Order of the Niger
- FC Sochaux-Montbéliard players