| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt | ||
| Date of birth | 21 October 2009 | ||
| Place of birth | Umunteke-Asa, Ukwa West, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting Lagos | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2019/2020–2025 | Sporting Lagos Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Sporting Lagos | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025– | Nigeria U20 | 9 | (0) |
| 2025– | Nigeria | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:00, 22 December 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:00, 22 December 2025 (UTC) | |||
Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt (born 21 October 2009) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Nigeria National League club Sporting Lagos and the Nigeria national team.
Harcourt was born in Umunteke-Asa, Ukwa West, and played youth football with Sporting Lagos Academy before starting his professional career with Sporting Lagos.
Harcourt won his first cap with the Nigeria national team in 2025, becoming the youngest player to represent Nigeria. He was also the youngest player at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt was born in Umunteke-Asa, Ukwa West, on 21 October 2009. [1] [2] His father, Ifeanyi Harcourt, is a goalkeeper trainer for Enyimba F.C., who mentored Harcourt from the start of his football journey at five years old through morning training and evening analysis. [2] Ifeanyi Harcourt stated, "Every dive, every catch was a lesson. I trained him like a professional from the day he showed interest. Not because I wanted him to follow in my footsteps—but because I saw he could go further than I ever did." [2]
Harcourt joined the Sporting Lagos Academy at 10 years old. [1] He played in the Nigeria Nationwide League. [3] Harcourt won the Gothia Cup with the academy in 2024. [4]
Harcourt debuted for Sporting Lagos on 28 November 2025 in a 1-1 home draw with Stormers in the Nigeria National League. After Clinton Lawani was injured, Harcourt came on when Sporting Lagos were behind and made a save. [3]
At 15 years old, Harcourt was a "surprise" selection for the Nigeria national under-20 football team, given his age. [1] He started for Nigeria throughout the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations as the youngest player at the competition. In the quarter-final, he saved two penalties in Nigeria's penalty shoot-out victory over defending champions Senegal, which has been called his "most defining moment" by the Confederation of African Football. [1] This ensured Nigeria's qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. [1]
In five games, Harcourt kept three clean sheets and conceded two goals in normal play, [5] one of the most impressive defensive records in the competition. [2] Harcourt's performances attracted interest, with French, Belgian, German, Saudi, and Nigeria Premier Football League clubs observing him. [1] [5] He was named in the CAF Best XI for the tournament. [4]
Harcourt saved the opening penalty in the shootout with Niger in the semifinal of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship, contributing to Nigeria's victory. [6] Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the final after Harcourt spilled an early free kick and the Ivorians scored in stoppage time. [7]
Prior to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Premier League club Manchester United sent scouts to observe Harcourt in Chile. [4] [5] ESPN named him as one of the five Nigeria players to watch at the championship. [8]
Still 15 years old, Harcourt won his first cap with the Nigeria national team on 19 August 2025, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory over Congo in Group D of the 2024 African Nations Championship. He became the youngest player to represent the Nigeria senior team. [9] [10] Harcourt was subsequently named in Éric Chelle's provisional squad for World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa in September. [3] [4]
Harcourt's coaches at Sporting Lagos Academy lauded his discipline, confidence, humility, and natural shot-stopping ability while recognising his technical prowess. [1] [2] An academy director noted that Harcourt was "always the first to arrive, the last to leave" and trained with purpose. [2] According to Infonews, Harcourt's work ethic was why he was directly called up to the U20 national team, which was otherwise unheard of. [2]
Harcourt has been described as a courageous and imposing [8] "teenage wall" [1] and "general", [2] whose command of the box, composure, focus, footing, positioning, reflexes, and maturity are superior for his age group and on par with more experienced players, even those "ten years older". [1] [2] [6] Following his performances at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, a scout said Harcourt could be among the best African goalkeepers in the next five years. [1] He has been deemed a bright prospect for the Nigeria national team and the "keeper of Nigeria's future dreams". [2]
Following Harcourt's senior debut, Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle praised his "talent and maturity". [5]
| Club | Season | League | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting Lagos | 2025–26 | Nigeria National League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Sporting Lagos Academy
Individual
Records