Antony Emere has completed a move from FC Uzhgorod to UCSA Tarasivka on a free transfer, signing a contract that runs from 2026-02-06 to 2026-02-06. The central midfielder joins the Persha Liga club after a short spell with Uzhgorod in the Ukrainian Druga Liga, continuing his career within Ukraine’s league system.
The deal sees UCSA acquire the 23-year-old without paying a transfer fee, with the move officially recorded as a free transfer from the Druga Liga side. No market value is currently listed for Emere, underlining that UCSA are taking a low‑risk step in adding depth to their midfield options ahead of the new campaign.
Born in Kharkiv and holding both Ukrainian and Nigerian nationality, Emere is a left‑footed central midfielder whose primary position is in the heart of the pitch. Standing at 1.77 m, he has come through a series of Ukrainian clubs, building experience across youth, reserve and senior levels before this latest step up to UCSA in the Persha Liga.
Emere’s career path has been entirely rooted in Ukraine so far. After his formative years at Shakhtar Donetsk’s academy, he progressed from Shakhtar Donetsk U17 to Shakhtar Donetsk U19, earning promotion within the club’s youth structure. In 2020 he left Shakhtar’s youth ranks for Avangard Kharkiv, maintaining his development in familiar surroundings.
A move to Metalist 1925 Kharkiv U19 followed, including a loan spell at Girnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni in the 2022–23 season. That loan ended with a return to Metalist’s youth side, after which Emere briefly found himself without a club. He then rebuilt his career with PFC Zvyagel, moved on to Chayka Petropavlivska Borshchagivka, and subsequently joined FC Uzhgorod in 2024. At Girnyk-Sport, his market value had once been listed at €10,000 in late 2022, before dropping to zero when he was without a club in early 2023.
The switch to UCSA represents a step into a higher division, as the club competes in the Persha Liga, one tier above the Druga Liga where Uzhgorod play. For a dual‑national midfielder of Ukrainian and Nigerian background, remaining in Ukraine’s system but moving into a stronger competition offers the opportunity to test himself against better opposition and to establish a more stable platform after several moves in quick succession.
Emere’s transfer history shows a player accustomed to adaptation: from academy football at one of Ukraine’s biggest clubs, to lower‑league senior sides and loan spells, and now to a Persha Liga team seeking to strengthen its midfield. Should his contract not be extended beyond its current end date of 2026-02-06, he could again enter the market as a free agent, but for now the focus will be on making an impact at UCSA.
If he can translate his experience across multiple Ukrainian clubs into consistent performances in the second tier, this move could become a turning point, helping to stabilise his career and potentially reopen pathways either to higher levels within Ukraine or to future opportunities elsewhere.
