Emmanuel "Manu" Apeh (born 25 October 1996) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for Azeri club Sabah.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Emmanuel Apeh | ||
| Date of birth | 25 October 1996[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Kaduna, Nigeria[2] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sabah | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| SamVic Academy | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Alcalá B | 12 | (10) |
| 2016 | Alcalá | 9 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | Lorca B | 37 | (27) |
| 2016–2018 | Lorca | 30 | (3) |
| 2018–2020 | Celta B | 47 | (19) |
| 2019 | Celta | 2 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Tenerife | 39 | (1) |
| 2022 | → Alcorcón (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2022– | Sabah | 65 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 May 2024 | |||
Club career
Born in Kaduna,[2] Apeh was a SamVic Academy youth graduate,[3] and had a failed trial at Inter Milan in August 2014.[4] He made his senior debut with RSD Alcalá's reserve team in 2015, in the regional leagues.
Apeh made his first team debut on 24 March 2016, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 1–5 Tercera División away loss against CD San Fernando de Henares.[5] Three days later he scored his first goal, netting the last in a 2–0 home win against AD Parla.[6]
In July 2016, after scoring four goals in nine matches, Apeh was definitely promoted to Alcalá's main squad;[7] however, he subsequently moved to Lorca FC's B-team also in the fourth division. He made his first team debut for the latter on 17 September, replacing Manuel Onwu in a 1–0 away win against Granada CF B in the Segunda División B championship.[8]
In April 2017, ahead of a match against Linares Deportivo, Apeh opted not to tell his father's death to his club, and still travelled and played with the senior and the reserve squads.[9] In August, after his team's promotion to Segunda División, he was definitely promoted to the main squad by new manager Curro Torres.[10]
Apeh made his professional debut on 18 August 2017, coming on as a late substitute for Manel Martínez in a 2–0 home win against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa; he also provided the assist for Carlos Martínez's last goal.[11] He scored his first professional goal on 21 October, netting his team's second in a 2–2 home draw against CD Tenerife.
On 11 July 2018, Apeh joined Celta de Vigo B in the third division.[12] He made his first team – and La Liga – debut the following 27 January, replacing Jozabed in a 1–2 away loss against Real Valladolid.
On 5 August 2020, Apeh agreed to a three-year deal with CD Tenerife in the second level.[13] On 26 January 2022, after being rarely used during the first half of the campaign, he moved on loan to fellow league team AD Alcorcón until June.[14]
On 18 July 2022, Sabah announced the signing of Apeh to a two-year contract.[15]