Emmanuel Obetta has completed a move from 22 de Julio to Gualaceo SC on a free transfer, joining the Liga Pro Serie B side with a market value listed at €125k. The Nigerian left-back switches clubs within Ecuador’s second tier after his transfer was finalised, strengthening Gualaceo SC’s defensive options ahead of the new campaign.
The deal sees the 23-year-old defender leave 22 de Julio, where he had been playing in the same division, to continue his career at another Liga Pro Serie B outfit. The transfer was completed as a free transfer from 22 de Julio to Gualaceo SC, and his contract with the new club runs from 2026-02-10 to 2027-12-31.
Obetta’s move keeps him abroad and embedded in South American football rather than returning to his home country of Nigeria. Having already built up experience in Argentina and Paraguay before arriving in Ecuador, the left-back remains on a path far from the traditional routes taken by many Nigerian defenders, continuing in the competitive environment of the Ecuadorian second tier.
Born in Owerri and standing 1.73 m tall, Obetta is registered primarily as a defender at left-back. His development has been shaped by a varied club career: he progressed from Cañuelas Fútbol Club U20 in Argentina to the senior side Cañuelas FC, later became a free agent, then signed for Atlético Tembetary in Paraguay, and eventually moved to 22 de Julio in Ecuador. That series of moves has given him exposure to multiple South American football cultures and styles before this latest step to Gualaceo SC.
His market value has risen noticeably during his time in Ecuador. While at 22 de Julio, his valuation moved from €75k to €125k within the same year, reflecting a favourable reassessment of his standing and potential in the market. That increase comes despite the absence of a transfer fee in his latest switch, underlining that Gualaceo SC are acquiring an appreciating asset without an upfront cost.
The transfer also continues a recent trend in his career of relatively short stints: from Cañuelas FC to a period without a club, then to Atlético Tembetary in 2024, on to 22 de Julio in 2025, and now to Gualaceo SC in 2026. Each move has kept him in professional environments, but none of the available data indicates long-term contracts at his previous sides, suggesting a career built on seizing successive opportunities rather than extended stays.
Internationally, Obetta is listed with Nigerian nationality, and his trajectory demonstrates how Nigerian players can carve out careers in less traditional markets such as Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. While there is no data here on international caps or Nigerian club appearances, his continued presence in South America shows that his professional reputation is being constructed largely outside domestic Nigerian football structures.
For Gualaceo SC, acquiring a left-back with multi-country experience in South America offers both depth and flexibility on the flank. For Obetta, the move presents another chance to consolidate his value, aim to increase his market valuation further, and potentially position himself for future steps—whether that means a rise within Ecuador, a move elsewhere on the continent, or a return to another international league once his contract with Gualaceo SC expires on 2027-12-31.
