*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Kezie Ibe
Appearances: 16 Goals: 9
Date / Year of birth: 6th December 1982
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 2012/13
Season of last appearance: 2012/13
Also played for: Arsenal (0), AFC Bournemouth (0), Leatherhead, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Aylesbury United, Staines Town, Yeovil Town (0+3,0), Tiverton Town, Exeter City, Weymouth, St.Albans City, Canvey Island, Chelmsford City, Ebbsfleet United, AFC Wimbledon, Farnborough, Sutton United, Eastbourne Borough, Basingstoke Town and Hendon
Powerful 5'10 tall striker born in Camden who was on Arsenal's books from 1993 to 1997 before being released aged 15.
After leaving the Gunners Kezie had a short spell in Bournemouth's youth set up but then dropped out of football for two years.
He joined Isthmian League Division 2 club Leatherhead for the 2001/02 season aged 18 and Kezie scored his first goal in a 2-0 home win over Ashford (Middlesex) on 22.9.01. A few weeks later he had a trial with Sheffield Wednesday and shortly after returning to Leatherhead Kezie scored four times in an 8-0 win over visitors Metropolitan Police on 3.11.01.
At the end of November 2001 he stepped up to the Isthmian League Premier Division by signing for Hampton & Richmond Borough and Kezie went on to score twice from 18 league outings (seven as sub) before the end of the 2001/02 campaign. He also scored twice in cup ties.
In the summer of 2002 Kezie joined Premier Division club Aylesbury and he scored on his debut as they drew 2-2 at Basingstoke on 17.8.02. Kezie spent the whole of 2002/03 with the Ducks and scored nine goals from 53 appearances in all competitions.
He moved on to Staines ahead of the 2003/04 season and Kezie scored 27 goals during the campaign, 19 in the Isthmian League Division 1 South and eight in cup ties. His tally included all four goals in a 4-3 win at Bracknell on 30.3.04 and a month earlier Kezie had been involved in a controversial incident as Staines lost 3-2 at home to Halifax in an FA Trophy replay. The tie took place on 12.2.04 and after the final whistle Halifax manager Chris Wilder was punched and knocked out which led to criminal charges being brought against Kezie.
In June 2004 he was signed by League Two club Yeovil and Kezie made his debut as a late substitute in a 2-0 home win over Boston on 14.8.04. He featured once more as a sub before being loaned to Tiverton in October 2004.
Kezie's spell with the Southern League Premier Division outfit was a successful one and he scored seven times in 13 outings including a hat-trick in a 4-1 FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round victory over Newport County before going back to Yeovil.
In December 2004 he was loaned to Conference club Exeter and Kezie made his debut as a substitute in a 4-0 home win over Hereford on 26.12.04. He started the Grecians' next match on 28.12.04 and scored the opening goal as they won 2-1 at Tamworth. Kezie played twice more before returning to Yeovil in January 2005 and Exeter's manager Alex Inglethorpe said "Kezie has gone back, I was delighted with the way he played in the games he was available for us." Inglethorpe had previously briefly managed Kezie at Leatherhead in 2001.
At the end of January 2005, around the time his loan at Exeter ended, Kezie appeared at Guildford Crown Court accused of assault and causing actual bodily harm relating to the Staines v Halifax game a year earlier but the jury took only two hours to reject the charges brought against him after a week-long trial.
Having returned to Yeovil Kezie made one more substitute appearance in February 2005 before being loaned to Conference South outfit Weymouth before the end of the month.
At the end of March 2005 he joined St.Albans on loan and Kezie made his debut on 2.4.05 as they lost 2-1 at home to Sutton in a Conference South game. On 5.4.05 he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-2 win over Margate at Ashford and in all Kezie managed four goals from eight outings before the end of the 2004/05 campaign.
Having been released by Yeovil he signed for Conference outfit Canvey Island on a one-year deal in August 2005 and Kezie went on to score six goals from 35 league appearances during 2005/06.
In July 2006 he moved on to Chelmsford of the Isthmian League Premier Division - following manager Jeff King from Canvey Island - and Kezie managed 19 goals from 40 league outings (four as sub) during the 2006/07 season. His tally included a hat-trick in a 7-3 home win over his old club Staines on 24.3.07 and Kezie also scored once in cup ties to take his overall tally for the campaign to 20 goals.
He stayed with Chelmsford for the 2007/08 season and scored 14 goals, nine of them in the Premier Division and five in cup ties including a hat-trick in a 5-1 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge in the Essex Senior Cup on 7.1.08.
Kezie joined Conference club Ebbsfleet in the summer of 2008 and he scored five goals from 26 league outings during 2008/09 before being loaned to AFC Wimbledon in March 2009.
He scored once from five Conference South outings (two as sub) for the Dons before the end of the season.
Kezie linked up with Southern League Premier Division club Farnborough for the 2009/10 campaign and scored 18 goals from 41 league appearances as they won promotion to the Conference South. He then played in 36 league games for Farnborough during 2010/11 and scored 13 goals.
In June 2011 Kezie rejoined Chelmsford and he scored seven goals from 37 Conference South appearances during 2011/12.
He signed for Sutton in the summer of 2012 but having failed to score in nine outings for the Conference South outfit Kezie was loaned to Eastbourne Borough in November 2012.
He initially joined Eastbourne for a month but Kezie's loan with the Conference South club was extended and then in January 2013 he signed a permanent deal. He scored once from 14 appearances before signing for Margate at the end of February 2013.
Kezie joined the club as player-coach and made his debut in a 0-0 draw with Hendon in an Isthmian League Premier Division game played at Wembley FC on 2.3.13. From then on he was a fixture in the Margate side and on 9.3.13 Kezie scored for the first time in a 3-0 win over Bognor Regis at Hartsdown Park. He then made it back-to-back goals by finding the net in a 3-0 win at Enfield Town on 16.3.13.
Kezie's good form continued and after scoring in a 4-2 home defeat against Wealdstone on 26.3.13 he bagged a brace in Margate's next match - a 3-1 win over visitors Thurrock on 29.3.13. Kezie's second effort was a low shot from an acute angle and joint manager Craig Holloway told Margate's website "Kezie has done fantastic. He's scored two goals today and his hold up play was superb." Kezie then scored for the third game in a row when he struck twice from close-range in a 4-0 win over Cray at Bromley on 1.4.13.
He ended a run of three games without a goal by cleverly chipping the visiting keeper as Margate lost 2-1 at home to Metropolitan Police on 13.4.13 and on 23.4.13 Kezie scored for the ninth time in a 4-2 defeat against Ebbsfleet in a Kent Senior Cup tie at Hartsdown Park. He made his last appearance in a 0-0 draw with visitors Harrow on 27.4.13 and Kezie ended the season having scored nine goals from 16 outings.
In June 2013 he returned to the Conference South by signing for Basingstoke and Kezie scored eight goals from 37 appearances (13 as sub) during 2013/14 before being released at the end of the campaign.
In July 2014 he signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Hendon.
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
2012/13 (MFC) |
16 (50) |
0 |
9 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22) |
3QR |
1QR |
2R |
QF |