Born in Lagos, Nigeria,[4] Okuonghae began his career with Fulham in the club's youth system, before appearing for Norwich City under-19s in March 2002, and later featured on the bench for Leicester City under-19s in April 2002.[5]
Rushden & Diamonds
Okuonghae was signed by Third Division club Rushden & Diamonds and became part of the under-16 squad.[6] He later signed his first professional contract with the club and was given squad number 40.[6] During the 2002–03 season, Okuonghae failed to make an appearance for the first team,[6] but was an unused substitute during a 4–1 win at home to Cambridge United on 18 January 2003.[7] He made his professional debut for Rushden & Diamonds, now in the Second Division in 2003–04 as an 87th-minute substitute in a 4–0 win over Colchester United at Nene Park on 22 November, but did not feature again for the rest of the season.[6]
A spell on loan at Conference South club Bishop's Stortford followed in 2004–05, where he made eight appearances.[8] Okuonghae found himself playing in the first team more regularly during the 2005–06 season, making a late substitute appearance in a 1–0 victory away to Mansfield Town on 9 August 2005.[9] He would make a further 22 appearances in all competitions throughout the season,[6] and registered his first professional goal in a 2–1 defeat away to Rochdale on 1 October.[10] However, the season ended in relegation for Rushden, and Okuonghae rejected their offer of a new contract and left the club.[5]
Aldershot Town
Following an unsuccessful trial at Gillingham, Okuonghae joined Conference National club Aldershot Town in August 2006.[5] He made his club debut on 15 August in a 1–0 defeat away to Weymouth.[11] His second and final appearance for the club came just four days later as Aldershot beat St Albans City 5–3 on the road.[11]
St Albans City
In late August 2006, after just two appearances for Aldershot, Okuonghae joined St Albans City on a non-contract basis.[5] He made his debut for the club in a 2–1 defeat away to Oxford United on 1 September.[12] Okuonghae made 20 appearances in all competitions between September 2006 and January 2007.[12]
Crawley Town
Okuonghae moved on from St Albans in January 2007, representing his third Conference club of the season as he signed for Crawley Town.[5][13] He made his debut for the club on 13 January as they defeated his former club Aldershot 2–0 at the Recreation Ground.[14] Okuonghae scored his first of two goals for the club in a 2–2 draw against his previous club St Albans on 10 February, netting the opening goal after 12 minutes.[14] His second and final goal came in Crawley's 2–1 defeat to Northwich Victoria on 14 April.[14] Okuonghae ended his stint with the club with 21 appearances to his name.[14]
Dagenham & Redbridge
Okuonghae signed for League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge on 31 May 2007.[15] After making his debut on 1 September in a 1–0 win at home to Lincoln City,[16] Okuonghae found his chances limited, making just 10 appearances between September 2007 and January 2008.[16]
Okuonghae was sent out on loan to Conference Premier club Weymouth in February 2008, making his debut in a 1–0 defeat at home to Histon on 23 February.[17] He made six appearances for Weymouth in all competitions.[17]
Okuonghae returned to Dagenham for the 2008–09 season and started every match in the early stages of the season, winning a regular spot in the right-back position. He said he was "happy to be playing and happy to be an influence".[18] He scored his first goal for the club during the campaign in a 2–1 defeat away to Luton Town on 15 November 2008.[19] He also scored against Notts County in a 6–1 rout on 22 November, making the score 5–0 after 56 minutes.[20] He played all but one league match for Dagenham & Redbridge through the campaign as they fell just short of the League Two play-offs.[19] He was named as the club's 2008–09 Player of the Year.[21]
Colchester United
2009–10 season
With Okuonghae out of contract, he decided to join League One club Colchester United in July 2009.[22] Although Dagenham & Redbridge had offered Okuonghae a new contract, he described his move to Colchester as a "no-brainer" and felt that he could make the step up to League One football.[23] He signed a two-year deal with the club, although compensation had to be paid to Dagenham & Redbridge for the transfer.[22] The fee for Okuonghae was set at a tribunal in August 2009, with the Professional Football Compensation Committee deciding that Colchester United should pay Dagenham & Redbridge an initial fee of £45,000, with an additional £5,000 paid after the player had made 15, 30, 45 and 60 appearances; a total further payment of £20,000. Other stipulations included a £15,000 payment if Colchester were promoted within the next two seasons if Okuonghae remained with the club, and a 20% sell-on fee would be paid on any profit if Colchester United were to sell Okuonghae.[24]
Okuonghae made his debut for Colchester on the opening day of 2009–10 in a 7–1 win away to newly relegated Norwich City.[25] Having played every match for the club since his transfer, he captained the team following Pat Baldwin's injury in September 2009, and was rewarded with a new contract in December 2009 to keep him at the Community Stadium until 2012.[26] Okuonghae finished the season with 49 appearances in all competitions.[25]
2010–11 season
For his second season with the club, Okuonghae remained a regular starter, appearing in Colchester's longest unbeaten run from the beginning of a season with 10 matches played.[27] He scored his first goal for the club on 25 September 2010 and Colchester's third in a 3–1 win at home to Tranmere Rovers.[28] Soon after, he scored his second goal for the club in a 1–1 draw away to Milton Keynes Dons on 2 October.[28] Until November, Okuonghae had made 17 first-team appearances in 2010–11,[28] however, an ankle injury kept him out of action for the rest of the year, with Okuonghae unsure of when he would be able to return to action.[29] He then had to undergo ankle surgery in February 2011, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.[30]
2011–12 season
Okuonghae returned to the first team on the opening day of 2011–12 in a 4–2 win away at Preston North End.[31] He received his first red card for Colchester on 15 October when he was sent off in their 2–2 draw away to Rochdale.[32] Okuonghae had another solid season, making 45 appearances in all competitions.[32] In the latter part of the season, Okuonghae struck up a good relationship in the centre of defence with Tom Eastman, at one stage conceding just two goals in six matches.[33] With his contract expiring in the summer, Okuonghae said that rumours linking him with a move away from the club "helps me to raise my game" and gives him the confidence to improve his performances.[33]
In a season where Colchester battled against the threat of relegation to League Two, Okuonghae made 46 appearances and scored three goals in all competitions,[39] converting Anthony Wordsworth's corner kick in a 2–2 draw at home to Portsmouth on 21 August 2012,[40] followed by Colchester's only goal in a 2–1 defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers on 15 September,[41] and a consolation goal in a 5–1 defeat at home to Tranmere Rovers on 23 February 2013.[42]
2013–14 season
Following a solid start to 2013–14, Okuonghae was nominated for the League One Player of the Month award for August, having been an ever-present member of the Colchester defence that conceded just four goals in five matches.[43] In a 4–1 defeat by his former club Dagenham & Redbridge in the Football League Trophy on 3 September, Okuonghae received his second red card of his Colchester United career.[44] He scored two goals during the course of the season; the opening goal in a 3–1 defeat away to Brentford on 19 October,[45] and once again in another defeat, this time at the hands of Swindon Town on 16 November.[46] He went on to make 46 appearances for the club throughout the season.[44]
2014–15 season
Ahead of 2014–15, Okuonghae was announced as the club's new captain following Brian Wilson's decision to leave the club over the summer.[47] His vice captain was named as new-boy Sean Clohessy on 7 August 2014.[47] Okuonghae scored the opening goal in Colchester's first match of the season, a 2–2 draw at home to Oldham Athletic.[48] He received a red card in only his second match of the season, a 4–0 League Cup defeat to Charlton Athletic on 12 August.[49] He then received his second red card of the campaign a little over one month later when he was shown a straight red for fouling former teammate Dave Mooney in a match against Leyton Orient.[50] He committed the foul just before half-time in what ended a 2–0 victory for Colchester on 13 September, their first win of the season.[50]
After missing a number of matches through suspension and the ensuing form of his replacement Frankie Kent, Okuonghae returned to action when he replaced Kent after only five minutes following a head injury he received after being struck by the ball on 21 October in a 2–1 victory at home to Chesterfield.[51] In Colchester's 1–0 defeat at home to Coventry City on 22 November, Okuonghae suffered an achilles tendon rupture and had to be stretchered off the field late in the match.[52] This ruled him out of action for the rest of the season.[53]
With his contract expiring in the summer of 2015, Colchester United took the decision not to renew Okhuonghae's contract, ending his six-year association with the club.[54] Manager Tony Humes described Okuonghae as "an excellent servant to the club".[54] Okuonghae departed Colchester having made 215 appearances in all competitions during his time at the club.[54]
Luton Town
Okuonghae signed a two-year contract with League Two club Luton Town on 1 July 2015, once again teaming-up with John Still, who was manager of Dagenham & Redbridge during Okuonghae's time at the club.[55] He made his debut for the club as a 59th-minute substitute for Scott Cuthbert in a 2–1 win at home to Leyton Orient in the Football League Trophy on 1 September.[56] After making his first start for Luton in a 2–1 defeat away to Gillingham in the Football League Trophy, Okuonghae joined League Two rivals Hartlepool United on a one-month loan on 17 October.[57] He sustained an ankle injury during a 2–0 defeat away to AFC Wimbledon on 31 October and returned to Luton for treatment.[58] Okuonghae did not play for Hartlepool again during his loan spell, having made four appearances.[59] He returned to first-team football for Luton to make his second starting appearance in a 2–0 defeat away to Peterborough United in the FA Cup on 6 December.[60] Okuonghae required knee surgery in April 2016 and did not feature again in 2015–16, having made 14 appearances in all competitions.[59][61] He was placed on the transfer list at the end of the season,[62] before his contract was cancelled by mutual consent on 31 August.[63]
Return to Dagenham & Redbridge
Okuonghae re-signed for National League club Dagenham & Redbridge on a short-term contract until 2 January 2017 on 25 November 2016.[64] He made his second debut a day later in a 4–1 defeat at home to Barrow.[65] Okuonghae was released following the expiration of his contract,[66] having made four appearances for the club.[67]
Maidstone United
On 20 February 2017, Okuonghae signed for National League club Maidstone United on a contract until the end of 2016–17.[68] He debuted on 14 April 2017 in a 3–1 victory away to Wrexham and finished the season with five appearances.[67] Okuonghae signed a new one-year contract with the club on 1 June 2017.[69]
He joined National League South club Welling United on 9 March 2018 on loan until the end of 2017–18.[70] Okuonghae made his debut a day later, starting in a 1–0 away victory over East Thurrock United,[71] before finishing the loan with 10 appearances.[67] He was released by Maidstone at the end of the season.[72]
On 26 June 2019, Welling United announced that Okuonghae had returned to the club, this time on permanent basis.[74] However, one month later, on 25 July 2019, the club announced that Okuonghae had decided to retire from football with immediate effect.[75]
International career
While playing for St Albans City, Okuonghae was selected for the semi-professional England National Game XI. He played in a friendly against Forest Green Rovers on 5 September 2006 to mark the official opening of their New Lawn stadium. England National Game XI lost the fixture 1–0, with Okuonghae scoring an own goal.[5][76]
Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^ abcWilliams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2007). Non-League Club Directory 2008. Kingsbridge: Tony Williams Publications. pp. 40–41. ISBN978-1-869833-57-2.
^ abcWilliams; Williams (eds.). Non-League Club Directory 2008. pp. 340–341.
^"Welling sign defender Okuonghae". Non-League Daily. Baltic Publications. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
