Micheal Azira (born 22 August 1987) is a Ugandan professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays for
New Mexico United
New Mexico United is an American professional soccer team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 2018, the team currently plays in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer.
History
Former teams
The state of New Mexic ...
and the
Uganda national team.
Professional career
Azira signed with
Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...
of
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
in 2012. He scored the winning goal for Charleston against
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads FC was a semi-professional American soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team last competed in the Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid in 2017.
History ...
in the
2012 USL Pro Championship match. Azira scored six more goals for the Battery in 2013.
Azira was transferred to
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...
of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
on 6 March 2014. He made his MLS debut as a substitute against Montréal on 23 March.
Seattle did not renew Azira's contract following the 2015 season. Azira entered the MLS Waiver Draft in December 2015 and was selected by
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
.
Azira was traded by the Rapids on 8 August 2018 to
Montreal Impact for a fourth-round draft pick in the
2020 MLS SuperDraft
The 2020 MLS SuperDraft was the 21st edition of the MLS SuperDraft, SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The 2020 SuperDraft was the first SuperDraft held exclusively via conference call and web streaming. The first two rounds of the 2020 ...
.
Azira was traded again in August 2019, this time to the
Chicago Fire. His contract with the club expired at the end of the 2020 season.
On 1 February 2021, Azira signed with
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
side
New Mexico United
New Mexico United is an American professional soccer team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 2018, the team currently plays in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer.
History
Former teams
The state of New Mexic ...
.
International career
Azira plays for his birth nation of
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
. Coach
Milutin Sredojević
Milutin Sredojević ( sr-Cyrl, Милутин Средојевић; born 1 September 1969), simply known as Micho, is a Serbian Association football, football manager who currently serves as the head coach of the Uganda national football team. He ...
selected Azira for the final 23-man roster for
2017 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (abbreviated as AFCON 2017 or CAN 2017), known as the Total 2017 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's football champions ...
.
Coaching career
Azira served as head coach for the Daniel Island Soccer Academy U-16 and U-18 Boyz teams in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
. He also served as assistant coach at UMS-Wright in
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
for two seasons, helping lead them to a state title in 2011.
Personal life
Azira previously held a
U.S. green card, which qualified him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.
On 9 October 2021, Azira was naturalized as an American citizen in
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
Honours
Charleston Battery
* USL Pro Championship: 2012
;Seattle Sounders
* U.S Open Cup: 2014
*
Supporters Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 19 ...
: 2014
References
External links
*
USL Pro profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azira, Micheal
1987 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Kampala
Association football midfielders
Ugandan footballers
Ugandan expatriate footballers
Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders men's soccer players
Mississippi Brilla players
Charleston Battery players
Seattle Sounders FC players
Tacoma Defiance players
Colorado Rapids players
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC players
CF Montréal players
Chicago Fire FC players
New Mexico United players
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
USL League Two players
USL Championship players
Major League Soccer players
Uganda international footballers
2017 Africa Cup of Nations players
2019 Africa Cup of Nations players
Ugandan expatriate sportspeople in the United States