How Ike Ugbo is getting on in Cyprus after Sheffield Wednesday exit | OneFootball

The former Owls forward has not had an easy start to life in the Cypriot top tier

Ike Ugbo’s move away from Sheffield Wednesday was intended to give the striker a fresh start, but regular first-team football has not arrived just yet.

The 27-year-old left Hillsborough during the summer after asking the club to facilitate a move, having seen his role diminish considerably during his final months in South Yorkshire.

Ugbo joined Cypriot top-flight side Apollon Limassol on a season-long loan, with the opportunity to rebuild his confidence and rediscover the form that initially made him such an important player for Wednesday.

However, with the domestic season now into its early stages, opportunities have remained limited for the Canada international.

How Ike Ugbo is getting on at Apollon Limassol

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Ugbo has made four competitive appearances for Apollon so far, although three of those have come as a substitute in the Cypriot First Division.

His first involvement came in European competition, playing 46 minutes during Apollon’s 4-2 defeat to Norwegian side Brann in Europa League qualifying.

He then made brief substitute appearances in the league against Aris Limassol and Anorthosis, playing three and one minutes respectively, before being introduced for the final 22 minutes of the 2-2 draw with APOEL Nicosia.

That takes his total playing time to 72 minutes this season, with Apollon sitting fifth in the Cypriot top flight heading into the international break.

The competition for places is considerable, too. Spanish forward Dani Escriche has established himself as the club’s preferred striker, while Ugbo is also competing for opportunities within an attack containing former Sunderland and Swansea City winger Joel Asoro.

Apollon’s squad also includes former Rangers defender Connor Goldson and former Birmingham City loanee Emanuel Aiwu.

Manager Hernan Losada has made it clear that Ugbo will have to earn more opportunities, explaining that new arrivals are not guaranteed minutes and must demonstrate in training that they are ready to play a bigger role.

Losada also stressed that players can require time to adapt to Cyprus, pointing to the different conditions and demands of the competition.

The cloud under which Ike Ugbo left Sheffield Wednesday

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Ugbo’s departure from Wednesday became the subject of an unusual public exchange with former club administrator Kris Wigfield.

Following the announcement of his move to Apollon, Wigfield criticised the striker on social media, prompting Ugbo to respond on Instagram.

The forward said he did not want to give Wigfield further attention but felt compelled to correct what he described as an inaccurate account of events.

The exchange added another layer to an already difficult end to Ugbo’s Wednesday career, although the striker’s move itself had been agreed as part of a footballing decision to give him a fresh opportunity elsewhere.

Ugbo’s chance to rebuild in Cyprus after poor Sheffield Wednesday ending

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Ugbo initially looked like a shrewd addition for Wednesday after joining on loan from Troyes in January 2024.

He scored seven goals in 18 appearances during that spell, convincing the Owls to make the move permanent that summer for a fee believed to be around £2.5 million.

The permanent move, however, never produced the same level of output.

He had gone 55 league appearances without scoring and found himself increasingly out of the picture as his Owls stint progressed.

By the end of his time at Hillsborough, a fresh start had become the logical outcome for both player and club.

Wednesday sporting director Simon Wilson said Ugbo had asked the club to facilitate a move and that they had worked collaboratively to identify an opportunity.

Apollon is now that opportunity - but Ugbo will need to turn his limited minutes into a more consistent role if he is to make the fresh start he wanted.