Giorgi Nikabadze

Giorgi Nikabadze
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-01-10) 10 January 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Kutaisi, Georgia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Novbahor
Number 51
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Banga 32 (5)
2013–2014 Guria 8 (1)
2014–2016 Alazani 25 (39)
2016 Kolkheti 1913 23 (2)
2017–2018 Telavi 26 (1)
2019–2020 Merani 35 (26)
2020–2021 Dinamo Batumi 37 (9)
2021–2022 Gudja United 8 (0)
2022–2023 Samgurali 36 (14)
2023 Neftchi 12 (3)
2024– Novbahor 7 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 September 2024

Giorgi Nikabadze (Georgian: გიორგი ნიქაბაძე; born 10 January 1991) is a Georgian footballer who plays as a forward for Uzbekistan Super League club Novbahor.

He won the Georgian Erovnuli Liga with Dinamo Batumi in 2021. Also, he has become the topscorer of Liga 2 as well as most prolific striker for several teams.

Career

Nikabadze has played in four countries. A Lyga side Banga was the first club where he spent a full season.

In 2018, he netted ten goals for newly promoted Liga 2 club Telavi. A year later, while at Merani Tbilisi, Nikabadze became a league topscorer and major contributor to his team's promotion to Erovnuli Liga.

The next summer, he moved to title-chasing Dinamo Batumi.[1] On 21 November 2020, when the Batumi Stadium was officially opened, Nikabadze netted against Dila Gori to become the first goalscorer in the history of this arena.[2] Nikabadze won the champion's title with his team in 2021.[3]

After a short spell in Malta, in May 2022 Nikabadze signed for Samgurali.[4] In 2023, with nine goals scored against the league opponents, he finished as best striker of the team despite his departure in mid-season. In the summer transfer window, he left for Uzbekistan,[5] initially to sign for Neftchi Fergana and later for Novbahor.

Statistics

Club

As of match played 26 August 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Banga 2012 A Lyga 25 5 25 5
2013 7 0 7 0
Total 32 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 5
Guria 2013/14 Umaglesi Liga 8 1 8 1
Alazani 2014/15 Meore Liga 16 24 16 24
2015/16 9 15 9 15
Total 25 39 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 39
Kolkheti 1913 2015/16 Umaglesi Liga 12 2 12 2
2016 11 0 2 1 13 1
Total 23 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 25 3
Telavi 2017 Liga 3 2[a] 1 2 1
2018 Erovnuli Liga 2 26 10 4 1 30 11
Total 26 10 4 1 0 0 2 1 32 12
Merani Tbilisi 2019 Erovnuli Liga 2 33 26 3 0 36 26
2020 Erovnuli Liga 2 0 2 0
Total 35 26 3 0 0 0 0 0 38 26
Dinamo Batumi 2020 Erovnuli Liga 15 5 1 0 1[b] 0 17 5
2021 22 4 2 1 2[c] 0 26 5
Total 37 9 3 1 3 0 0 0 43 10
Gudja United 2021/22 Maltese Premier League 8 0 1 0 9 0
Samgurali 2022 Erovnuli Liga 18 5 18 5
2023 18 9 18 9
Total 36 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 14
Neftchi 2023 Uzbekistan Super League 12 3 12 3
Novbahor 2024 Uzbekistan Super League 7 1 5 1 2[d] 0 0 0 14 2
Career total 249 110 18 4 5 0 2 1 274 115
  1. ^ Appearances in play-offs
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
  4. ^ Appearances in Asian Champions League

Honours

Club

Dinamo Batumi

Individual

Liga 2 topscorer (1): 2019

References

  1. ^ "გიორგი ნიქაბაძე: კარიერის პიკი ჯერ არ მქონია, მთავარი კი წინ მელოდება". europop.ge (in Georgian). 18 June 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  2. ^ "ბათუმის ახალ სტადიონზე პირველი გოლი გიორგი ნიქაბაძემ გაიტანა". europop.ge (in Georgian). 21 November 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  3. ^ "ისტორიაში პირველად, ბათუმის "დინამო"საქართველოს ჩემპიონია". report.ge (in Georgian). 28 November 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  4. ^ "„სამგურალმა" ბათუმელთა ექს-ფორვარდი დაიმატა - ნიქაბაძე მალტიდან დაბრუნდა". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 19 May 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  5. ^ "ნიქაბაძე უზბეკეთის ჩემპიონატში ითამაშებს". atiani.ge (in Georgian). 21 July 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.