{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 1997)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Samuel Kalu | image = Lens - Girondins de Bordeaux (19-09-2020) 56 (cropped).jpg | caption = Kalu with Bordeaux in 2020 | fullname = Samuel Kalu Ojim<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/2470630 |title=Updated squad lists for 2021/22 Premier League |publisher=Premier League |date=4 February 2022 |access-date=6 February 2022}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|8|26|df=y}} | birth_place = Aba, Abia State, Nigeria | height = 1.77 m<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.watfordfc.com/teams/men/players/samuel-kalu |title=Samuel Kalu |publisher=Watford F.C. |access-date=5 October 2022}}</ref> | position = Winger | currentclub = Botev Plovdiv | clubnumber = 90 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2016 | youthclubs1 = GBS Academy | years1 = 2016–2017 | clubs1 = AS Trenčín | caps1 = 32 | goals1 = 4 | years2 = 2017–2018 | clubs2 = Gent | caps2 = 48 | goals2 = 10 | years3 = 2018–2022 | clubs3 = Bordeaux | caps3 = 72 | goals3 = 9 | years4 = 2022–2024 | clubs4 = Watford | caps4 = 13 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2023–2024 | clubs5 = → Lausanne-Sport (loan) | caps5 = 21 | goals5 = 3 | years6 = 2025– | clubs6 = Botev Plovdiv | caps6 = 12 | goals6 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2018– | nationalteam1 = Nigeria | nationalcaps1 = 16 | nationalgoals1 = 2 | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Competition|Africa Cup of Nations}} {{Medal|3rd|2019 Egypt|}} | club-update = 26 February 2026 | nationalteam-update = 13 November 2019 }} '''Samuel Kalu Ojim''' (born 26 August 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as winger for Bulgarian First League club Botev Plovdiv.
==Club career== Kalu started his football career at GBS Academy in Jos, Nigeria.
===AS Trenčín=== On 9 December 2015, Kalu agreed to sign a two-year contract with Slovak side AS Trenčín,<ref>[http://www.astrencin.sk/clanek.asp?id=Kalu-a-Udeh-podpisali-dvojrocne-kontrakty-4406 KALU A UDEH PODPÍSALI DVOJROČNÉ KONTRAKTY] 09.12.2015, astrencin.sk</ref> a partner club with GBS Academy at the time. He made his professional debut for Trenčín against Slovan Bratislava on 27 February 2016.<ref>[http://ulk.futbalnet.sk/zapas/154615/ Futbalnet / Únia ligových klubov / Fortuna liga / AS Trenčín - ŠK Slovan Bratislava futbal] 27.02.2016, futbalnet.sk</ref>
===Gent=== On 4 January 2017, after his impressive displays in the Slovak League with Trenčín, Kalu was transferred to Belgium top division club KAA Gent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4110/african-all-stars/2017/01/04/31147232/samuel-kalu-signs-three-and-a-half-year-deal-with-gent|title=Samuel Kalu signs three and a half year deal with Gent|publisher=Goal|date=4 January 2017|accessdate=7 August 2018}}</ref>
===Bordeaux=== On 6 August 2018, Kalu signed for Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, signing a five-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.girondins.com/fr/samuel-kalu-est-girondin|title=Samuel Kalu is Girondin!|date=6 August 2018|accessdate=6 August 2018|language=French|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812105759/http://www.girondins.com/fr/samuel-kalu-est-girondin|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was handed the number 10 jersey on arrival.
On 15 August 2021, Kalu collapsed in a game against Marseille. He was able to get up and walk off the pitch with his teammates’ help while holding an ice pack against his head. Eight minutes later, he was substituted off for Rémi Oudin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com.sg/soccer/bordeaux/story/4455165/bordeauxs-samuel-kalu-collapsesreturns-to-game-before-substituted-off|title=Bordeaux's Samuel Kalu collapses, returns to game before substituted off|date=15 August 2021|accessdate=15 August 2021|language=English}}</ref>
===Watford=== On 26 January 2022, Kalu joined Premier League club Watford on a three-and-a-half-year deal until 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/official-hornets-sign-kalu|title=Official: Hornets Sign Kalu|website=www.watfordfc.com|date=26 January 2022|accessdate=26 January 2022}}</ref>
===FC Lausanne-Sport=== On 7 September 2023, Kalu joined Swiss Super League club FC Lausanne-Sport on a season long loan from Watford.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official: Lausanne Loan For Kalu |url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/official-lausanne-loan-for-kalu |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=www.watfordfc.com |language=en}}</ref>
==International career== On 13 October 2018, he scored his first international goal with the Nigeria senior national team against Libya. He scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory.
Kalu collapsed whilst participating in a team training session during the AFCON 2019 held in Egypt. Though rumours had it that he suffered a heart attack, this was later debunked as he collapsed as a result of severe dehydration. He was later released from the hospital to link up with the rest of the squad in Alexandria.
==Personal life== Kalu's mother was released on 5 March 2019, having been kidnapped six days previously.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47458518|title=Nigeria winger Kalu's mother released by kidnappers|date=5 March 2019|website=BBC Sport|accessdate=27 August 2019|first=Oluwashina|last=Okeleji}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|match played 3 February 2024}}<ref name="Soccerway">{{Soccerway|samuel-kalu-ojim/437251}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|AS Trenčín |2015–16 |Slovak Super Liga |13||3||4||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||17||4 |- |2016–17 |Slovak Super Liga |19||1||3||1||colspan="2"|—||5{{efn|Four appearances in UEFA Champions League and one in UEFA Europa League}}||1||27||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !32!!4!!7!!2!!colspan="2"|—||5!!1!!44!!7 |- |rowspan="3"|Gent |2016–17 |Belgian First Division A |16||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||3{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}}||1|||19||4 |- |2017–18 |Belgian First Division A |32||7||2||0||colspan="2"|—||2{{efn|name=UEL}}||0||36||7 |- !colspan="2"|Total !48!!10!!2!!0!!colspan="2"|—||5!!1!!55!!11 |- |rowspan="5"|Bordeaux |2018–19 |Ligue 1 |21||3||1||0||3||1||7{{efn|name=UEL}}||0||32||4 |- |2019–20 |Ligue 1 |20||1||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||22||1 |- |2020–21 |Ligue 1 |20||4||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||20||4 |- |2021–22 |Ligue 1 |11||1||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||12||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !72!!9!!2!!0!!5!!1!!7!!0!!86!!10 |- |rowspan="3"|Watford |2021–22 |Premier League |4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||4||0 |- |2022–23 |Championship |9||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !13!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!13!!0 |- |rowspan="2"|FC Lausanne-Sport |2023–24 |Swiss Super League |15||3||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||15||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !15!!3!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!15!!3 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !178!!23!!11!!2!!5!!1!!17!!2!!211!!31 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {{Updated|matches played on 13 November 2019}}<ref name="nft">{{NFT|71856}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="2"|Nigeria |2018||6||1 |- |2019||7||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!13!!2 |}
:''Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kalu goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Samuel Kalu<ref name="nft"/> |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- | style="text-align:center"|1 || 13 October 2018 || Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nigeria || {{fb|LBY}} || style="text-align:center"|4–0 || style="text-align:center"|4–0 || 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |- | style="text-align:center"|2 || 13 November 2019 || Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria || {{fb|BEN}} || style="text-align:center"|2–1 || style="text-align:center"|2–1 || 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{WorldFootball.net|samuel-kalu}} * {{Soccerway|samuel-kalu-ojim/437251}} * [http://futbalnet.sk/member/1369606/#player Futbalnet Profile] * [http://www.astrencin.sk/hrac.asp?id=Samuel-Kalu-757&sezona=2016&kategorie=MUZ AS Trenčín official club profile]
{{PFC Botev Plovdiv squad}} {{Nigeria squad 2019 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalu, Samuel}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Nigerian men's footballers Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers Category:Men's association football wingers Category:AS Trenčín players Category:KAA Gent players Category:FC Girondins de Bordeaux players Category:Watford F.C. players Category:FC Lausanne-Sport players Category:Slovak First Football League players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Premier League players Category:Footballers from Aba, Nigeria Category:2019 Africa Cup of Nations players Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Slovakia Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Slovakia Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:Nigeria men's international footballers Category:English Football League players Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen Category:Footballers from Abia State