Simy

Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo (born 7 May 1992), known simply as Simy, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Salernitana. He has represented the Nigeria national team.[2]

Simy
Simy in 2019
Personal information
Full name Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo
Date of birth (1992-05-07) 7 May 1992
Place of birth Onitsha, Nigeria
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Salernitana
Youth career
Guo FC
Portimonense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Portimonense 55 (17)
2013–2016 Gil Vicente 88 (29)
2016–2022 Crotone 152 (64)
2021–2022 → Salernitana (loan) 18 (1)
2022– Salernitana 1 (0)
2022 → Parma (loan) 12 (1)
2022–2023 → Benevento (loan) 22 (0)
International career
2018 Nigeria 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 May 2023

Simy is the only African footballer to have been top scorer in an Italian professional league (2019–20 Serie B).[3] With 66 goals in all competitions, he is Crotone's all-time top scorer. Simy is also the only African footballer, alongside Samuel Eto'o in 2010–11, to have scored 20 goals in one Serie A season, having achieved the feat in 2020–21.[4]

Club career

In July 2016, Simy signed for Crotone, newly promoted to Serie A.[5]

He scored seven goals during the 2017–18 campaign, tied with Ante Budimir for second-most for the club and only one behind top scorer Marcello Trotta. This included a memorable overhead kick in a 1–1 draw against champions Juventus on 19 April 2018.[6][7] Crotone, however, would be relegated at season's end.[8]

Although the club struggled to a twelfth place finish in their return to Serie B, Simy was able to find his form and have his best season since moving to Italy, finishing first on his team and sixth overall in goals with fourteen. He bested this in the 2019–20 campaign, topping Serie B with twenty goals and helping his team earn promotion back to Italy's top flight.[9] Simy was prolific again during the 2020–21 season, scoring 20 league goals, but this was not enough to prevent Crotone from being relegated after a single season in the top flight.[10] On 19 August 2021, Simy moved to newly-promoted Serie A club Salernitana on a season-long loan.[11]

Salernitana

On 9 January 2022, Simy rights was acquired fully by Salernitana for a fee of €3.5m. On 31 January 2022, he was loaned out to Serie B club Parma[12] for the remainder of the season with an option to buy.

On 1 September 2022, Simy moved to Benevento on loan with an option to buy.[13]

International career

On 25 May 2018, Simy was called up to the Nigeria national team's camp by coach Gernot Rohr in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Three days later, he made his international debut in a 1–1 draw against the DR Congo.[14] In June he was named in Nigeria's final 23-man squad for the World Cup.[15] He made his first appearance at the tournament against Croatia where he came in as a second-half substitute whilst Nigeria were 2–0 down. He also played as substitute in the 2–1 defeat against Argentina who eliminated Nigeria from the World Cup.[16][17]

Personal life

Simy is the eldest of three children. His brother, a physiotherapist, and sister, a nurse, are twins. Simy and his wife are Catholic and have a son.[18] Simy has been the subject of racial abuse on social media during his time in Crotone, including wishes that his son 'would die of pancreatic cancer'. Taking a stand against racism, Crotone's mayor, Vincenzo Voce, gave honorary citizenship of the city to Nwankwo's son on 27 March 2021.[19]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 26 February 2023[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Portimonense 2011–12 LigaPro 2352061316
2012–13 321221303713
Total 551741916819
Gil Vicente 2013–14 Primeira Liga 1501050210
2014–15 30931213511
2015–16 LigaPro 432030004620
Total 8829717110231
Crotone 2016–17 Serie A 21311—224
2017–18 23710—247
2018–19 Serie B 331430—3614
2019–20 372011—3821
2020–21 Serie A 382010—3920
Total 1526472—15966
Salernitana (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 19110—201
Parma (loan) 2021–22 Serie B 12100—121
Benevento (loan) 2022–23 Serie B 16000—160
Career total 342112194162377118
  1. Includes Taça de Portugal, Coppa Italia
  2. Includes Taça da Liga

International
As of match played 26 June 2018[21]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Nigeria 201840
Total40

References
  1. "2018 FIFA World Cup: List of players" (PDF). FIFA. 23 June 2018. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018.
  2. "Simy Nwankwo :: Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo :: Crotone". www.calciozz.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  3. Emanuele Castellucci (1 August 2020). "Simy capocannoniere della Serie B: è il primo africano a riuscirci. E la Lazio..." Lazionews.eu (in Italian). Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  4. "Simy come Eto'o: gli unici africani a segnare 20 reti in Serie A". Hibet Social - News e curiosità su Sport, Fantacalcio ed E-Sports (in Italian). 22 May 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  5. "Nuovo acquisto in casa rossoblù: arriva Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo - ilRossoBlu.it". ilRossoBlu.it (in Italian). Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  6. "Crotone, Simy dopo la rovesciata: "Io come CR7? C'ho provato. Dimostrato di credere nella salvezza" - Mediagol". Mediagol (in Italian). 19 April 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  7. "Video Simy, pazzesco gol in rovesciata. Il Crotone pareggia con la Juventus. Bicicletta alla Cristiano Ronaldo". OA Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  8. Football Italia. "Serie A 2017-18 season review". Football Italia. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  9. Staff Reporter, 8 August 2020. "Serie B top scorer Nwankwo eyes Nigeria return". African Football. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  10. "Simy: Crotone forward has offers from Premier League clubs – agent". Goal. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  11. Campanale, Susy (19 August 2021). "Official: Simy signs for Salernitana". Football Italia.
  12. Sport, Sky. "Simy al Parma, l'attaccante nigeriano riparte dalla Serie B: le news di calciomercato | Sky Sport". sport.sky.it. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  13. "SIMY E' UN CALCIATORE DEL BENEVENTO" (in Italian). Benevento. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  14. "Simeon Nwankwo: It was good Super Eagles debut but I have to do more". scorenigeria.com.ng. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  15. "Nigeria World Cup squad guide: Full fixtures, group, ones to watch, odds and more". The Independent. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  16. "Recap: Late-game heroics salvage Argentina's World Cup hopes, eliminates Nigeria". FOX Sports. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  17. "FIFA World Cup 2018: Argentina beat Nigeria 2–1 to reach round of 16. Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  18. Udoh, Colin (27 May 2018). "Simy Nwankwo: Five fast facts on Nigeria new boy". ESPN. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  19. Football Italia staff (27 March 2021). "Crotone Mayor's anti-racism message for Simy". Football Italia. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  20. Simy at Soccerway
  21. "Simeon Nwankwo". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  • Simy at ForaDeJogo (archived)
  • Simy at Goalsreplay.com
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