Micheal Azira

Hometown: Kampala, Uganda
College: University of Mobile/Lindsey Wilson College
Citizenship: Uganda
Birth date: August 22, 1987
Acquired: Signed via the Waiver Draft on December 9, 2015

MLS CAREER

2018

• Was not in the 18 for the home leg of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League match with Toronto FC (2/20).
• An unused substitute for the second leg in Toronto (2/27), and the MLS games at New England Revolution (3/10), and home to both Sporting Kansas City (3/24) and Philadelphia Union (3/31).
• His first appearance of 2018 came at Toyota Stadium in the 1-1 tie with FC Dallas (4/7), when he replaced Dominique Badji in the 90th minute.

2017

• Made his 50th MLS start in the 1-0 home loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5/5).
• Scored his first goal for the Rapids in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup loss at FC Dallas (6/27).
• Played every minute of the first 17 games, but a booking in the match at Atlanta United FC (6/24) forced him to miss the home win over Houston Dynamo (7/1), due to yellow card accumulation.
• He returned in the next game (7/4), against his former club Seattle Sounders FC, playing the last 31 minutes in place of Nana Boateng. In this game he bagged his first assist of the season.
• Azira's second assist came in the 4-1 loss at Real Salt Lake (8/26).
• His season ended prematurely, after injuring his ankle in the 2-1 win over Montreal Impact (9/30). He missed the final three games of the season.
• Finished with career high minutes for a single season (2,569), as well as most assists in a season (2). Also equaled the number of starts, while only Marlon Hairston (2,605) and Eric Miller (2,616) played more minutes for the Rapids in 2017.

2016

• Started the first 21 games, playing all but eight minutes of the first 20.
• He was sent off for the first time in his MLS career following two bookable offenses in the team’s 5-1 loss at NYC on July 30.
• After serving a one-game ban, he came in off the bench for three games in a row until starting at New England Revolution (9/3) and the side’s 2-0 loss.
• Azira has played more minutes and had more starts than in his previous two seasons combined when at Seattle Sounders FC.
• He made his 50th MLS appearance in the 2-0 loss at New England (25 appearances for the Rapids and 25 over two seasons with the Sounders).
• Finished the regular season with career-high stats in MLS, in terms of games played (31), games started (28) and minutes played (2503).
• Azira, still to score in MLS, did tally his first-ever assist. This came in the 3-2 win at Houston Dynamo (10/8), as he provided the pass for the game-winner from Shkëlzen Gashi.

2015

• Started the first three games of the season for Seattle Sounders FC, as cover for the injured Osvaldo Alonso, going the full 90 in the 3-0 opening weekend win over New England Revolution (March 8).
• He came on as a sub in match four of the campaign (April 4), but would not appear again until the final minute of the 1-0 home victory over Colorado Rapids (May 27).
• Azira again deputized for Alonso in June, starting five games, during which the Sounders endured a 1-4-0 record.
• His last start of 2015 came in the 4-1 defeat at Portland Timbers on June 28. Azira's last appearance of the regular season was for the final seven minutes of a 1-0 reversal at Chicago Fire (July 11).
• He did feature for one minute of one match in the 2015 postseason, replacing Andreas Ivanschitz in the home leg of the Western Conference semifinal contest with FC Dallas.

2014

• Azira made his club debut for Seattle Sounders FC at Montreal (March 23).
• His first start came six days later against Columbus on March 29.
• In the MLS Cup Playoffs, Azira appeared in each of the club’s four matches, including a start in the first leg of the Western Conference Championship (November 23).

OTHER PROFESSIONAL

2013

• Azira scored six goals with two assists in 31 games played for Charleston Battery.
• He added two goals in two matches in USL PRO Playoffs.
• In addition, Azira appeared in two U.S. Open Cup matches.

2012

• Azira scored his first career goal; the game-winner in 2012 USL PRO Championship, for Charleston Battery against Wilmington Hammerheads.
• He played 14 matches in regular season play.
• Also, Azira appeared in one postseason match and one U.S. Open Cup match.

INTERNATIONAL

• He was called into the Uganda national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Senegal on September 7, 2013.
• Azira was a member of the U-23 Uganda squad for the Olympics and member of the U-20 Uganda national team.
• An unused substitute for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burkina Faso in March, 2016, in Ouagadougou and then Kampala.
• Called into the Uganda squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to Congo on November 12, 2016. Came on as a substitute for the last half an hour of a 1-0 win, for his senior international debut.
• Named in Uganda's 23-man squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon - Uganda's first appearance at the finals since 1978.
• Started Cup of Nations warm-up friendlies vs. Tunisia (1/4/17), Slovakia (1/8/17) and Ivory Coast (1/11/17).
• Played the first 45 minutes of Uganda's opening Group D game at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, before being replaced at the interval. Uganda lost the game 1-0 to Ghana (1/17/17).
• Did not play in game two of Uganda's 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, versus Egypt, but he did come on in stoppage time of the 1-1 tie against Mali in their final group game (1/25/17).

COLLEGE

• Azira played his senior season for the University of Mobile. He finished with two goals and four assists while appearing in all 20 matches, earning a NAIA All-America Honorable Mention.
• He played for Lindsey Wilson College from 2008-09, in which he was named to the Conference All-Conference Team in 2008. Azira was part of the NAIA National Championship team in 2009.

PERSONAL

• Azira is the son of Joel and Erisa Nabusgo.
• He served as Head Coach for Daniel Island Soccer Academy U-16 and U-18 teams in Charleston. In addition, he was an assistant coach at UMS-Wright Preparatory School, winning the Alabama state title in 2011.
• Azira qualifies as a Domestic player due to his Green Card status.