Joseph Phillip Yobo is a former Nigerian professional footballer who played as a center back. He was the captain of the Nigerian national team until his international football retirement in June 2014.
Yobo was born in September 6, 1980 in Kono, a community in the Khana area of Rivers State, Nigeria. He is the younger brother of former Nigeria international Albert Yobo.
Yobo left Nigeria to join Standard Liège in 1998. He made his first team debut in 2000 and in 2001, he was bought by Marseille. Yobo was loaned to Tenerife and after about nine months, he returned to Marseille, before joining Everton, again on loan, in July 2002. On 31 August 2010, Yobo signed a one-year loan contract with Fenerbahçe. On 30 January 2014, Yobo returned to England on loan at Norwich City for the remainder of the season with a view to a permanent move in the summer.
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He participated in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship quarter-finals and made his senior international debut against Zambia in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 24 March 2001. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2002 against Sweden.
Yobo made his second World Cup appearance at the 2010 tournament in South Africa and that assumed the captaincy on the international retirement of Nwankwo Kanu. He lifted the trophy with his teammates at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after appearing as an 89th-minute substitute in Nigeria’s 1–0 final defeat of Burkina Faso. He was also included in Stephen Keshi’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In 2010, Yobo married former MBGN Adaeze Igwe in a midnight ceremony held in Jos. In April 2010, the couple welcomed a baby boy named Joey Yobo .
On 27 May 2016, Rivers State Government organized a testimonial match marking his exit from active football.
