NEWS: Chicago Fire Sign Nigerian Forward Kennedy Igboananike

CHICAGO (December 2, 2014) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Tuesday that the club has signed Nigerian striker Kennedy Igboananike. Igboananike will occupy a Designated Player slot and will be added to the Fire’s roster for the 2015 season pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and his P1 Visa. Per MLS and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Kennedy is a dynamic goal scorer with a track record of producing,” said Fire head coach Frank Yallop. “He’s young and exciting, a player with incredible pace, and we look forward to adding him to our roster to bolster our attack.”

A product of Dynamos Football Academy in Nigeria, Igboananike made his professional debut with Djurgården IF of the Swedish Allsvenskan on June 19, 2007.

The next year proved to be Igboananike’s breakout season when he transferred to Vasalunds IF. In 25 matches, Igboananike scored a league-high 18 goals, garnering the Division 1 golden boot in 2008.

In 2009, the Nigerian striker again tallied double-digit goals, scoring 12 goals in 26 league matches.

(Photo credit: Magnus Neck)

Igboananike returned to Djurgården in 2010 and led the team in scoring with nine goals in 27 league matches. Igboananike added six additional goals in 33 matches before departing for fellow Stockholm side AIK in 2013.

Igboananike made his AIK debut on April 1, 2013 in a 2-2 draw against Elfsborg. In his fifth appearance for the Gnaget, he opened his goal scoring account for the club, tallying a 96^th minute game winner against Gefle on April 22, 2013. He went on to score in three consecutive matches, also tallying in a 3-3 draw with Halmstad on April 28, 2013 and the first goal in a 3-1 victory over IFK Goteborg on May 12, 2013.

Igboananike scored his first brace on July 14, 2013, leading AIK to a 2-1 victory over Syrianskia FC. The following week he tallied another, scoring the first two goals in AIK’s 3-2 victory over Hacken on July 22, 2013. Igboananike notched his third brace of the season on Oct. 26, 2013 in a 6-0 win over Brommapojkarna. He finished the 2013 campaign with 14 goals in 29 appearances.

In 2014, Igboananike scored the game-winning goal in the second match of the season, helping AIK to a 2-1 victory over Gefle on April 6 and scored five goals in 26 matches during the Allsvenskan campaign.

The Nri-Igbo, Nigeria native also scored two goals in five Svenska Cupen matches, and scored the first goal in 2-0 UEFA Europa League qualifying victory against Northern Irish side Linfield on July 24, 2014.