09 August 2021
09 August 2021

Happy birthday, Stefano Okaka!

The Italian striker turns 32 today

Per-aggiungere-logo-orizzonalte-6.png
We would like to wish Stefano Okaka a very happy birthday as he turns 32 today!
 
Stefano was born in Castiglione del Lago on 9 August 1989 to Nigerian parents. He has a sister, Stefania, who plays volleyball, and a brother, Carlo, who is his agent.
 
Stefano Okaka spent his early years at Sanfatucchio, Centro Italia Parma and Cittadella, before joining Roma's academy in 2004 aged 14. He started out in the U17s but was soon promoted to the U19s and went on to score 20 goals that year as the Giallorossi won the Primavera championship. He also became the youngest ever scorer at the Viareggio Cup.
Towards the end of that season (2004/05), he was named as a substitute for Roma's Serie A game at Udinese (3-3, 10 April 2005).
 
He made his senior Roma debut against Aris in the UEFA Cup on 29 September 2005, becoming the youngest Italian to play in a European competition.
 
On 8 December 2005 he notched his first senior goal – and became the youngest scorer in Coppa Italia history – when he found the net in Roma's 3-0 last-16 win against Napoli.
 
He made his Serie A bow against Sampdoria (1-1) on 18 December 2005, aged 16 years and 125 days, and his first Serie A strike came on 17 September 2006 in Siena 1-4 Roma, aged 17 years and 38 days.
Loan spells at Modena, Brescia, Fulham and Bari followed, before he joined Parma in 2012.
 
He went on to play for Spezia, Sampdoria, Anderlecht and Watford, then moved to Udinese in January 2019.
 
Okaka has scored 18 goals in 69 Serie A appearances for Udinese to date.
 
Stefano obtained Italian citizenship when he turned 18. He was called up by Antonio Conte for Italy's friendly against Albania on 18 November 2014 and came on for his debut in the second half, scoring the only goal of the game. He has five Azzurri caps to his name.