Blessing Kaku

Blessing Kaku
Personal information
Full name	Blessing Kaku
Date of birth	5 March 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Ughelli, Nigeria
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1994	Steel Pioneers
Senior career*
Years	Team
1996–1997	Sharks F.C.
1997–1998	SV Braunau
1998–1999	RWD Molenbeek
1999–2000	KRC Harelbeke
2000–2002	K.R.C. Genk
2002–2003	Hapoel Be'er-Sheva
2003–2004	F.C. Ashdod
2004	Bolton Wanderers
2005	Derby County
2005	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2006	F.C. Ashdod
2006–2008	Maccabi Petah Tikva
2008–2009	Enosis Neon Paralimni
Total
International career‡
2000–2004	Nigeria
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 October 2008; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 August 2006

Blessing Kaku (born 5 March 1978) is a former Nigerian international football player, who was a member of the national squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He spent most of his time in Israel playing for multiple clubs (Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Tel Aviv, F.C. Ashdod, Maccabi Petah Tikva). He also played for Cyprus-based club Enosis Neon Paralimni and Belgian side K.R.C. Genk. He also played in England for Bolton Wanderers, and Derby County but failed to make an impact in his short spells with both of the English clubs.

Transfer Controversy

His transfer from F.C. Ashdod to Bolton Wanderers in August 2004 is mentioned in the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007, concerns were raised because of the apparent conflict of interest between agent Craig Allardyce and his father Sam Allardyce (Bolton manager at the time) and the club itself.^[1]

^ "What Stevens said about each club". The Daily Telegraph. 16 June 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.^{[dead link]}