Micheal Azira
# Micheal Azira

Micheal Azira (born 22 August 1987) is a Ugandan professional footballer.

## Professional career

Azira signed with Charleston Battery of USL Pro in 2012. He scored the winning goal for Charleston against Wilmington Hammerheads in the 2012 USL Pro Championship match. Azira scored six more goals for the Battery in 2013.

Azira was transferred to Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer 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.

Azira was traded by the Rapids on 8 August 2018 to Montreal Impact for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.

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 side New Mexico United.

## International career

Azira plays for his birth nation of Uganda. Coach Milutin Sredojević selected Azira for the final 23-man roster for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

## Coaching career

Azira served as head coach for the Daniel Island Soccer Academy U-16 and U-18 Boyz teams in Charleston, South Carolina. He also served as assistant coach at UMS-Wright in Mobile, Alabama 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.

## Career statistics

### Club

    As of match played 23 April 2022

| Club | Season | League | League | League | Domestic Cup | Domestic Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Mississippi Brilla | 2010 | USL PDL | 10 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 |
| Mississippi Brilla | 2011 | USL PDL | 15 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 5 |
| Mississippi Brilla | Total | Total | 25 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 5 |
| Charleston Battery | 2012 | USL Pro | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 17 | 1 |
| Charleston Battery | 2013 | USL Pro | 26 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 30 | 7 |
| Charleston Battery | Total | Total | 40 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 47 | 8 |
| Seattle Sounders U-23 | 2013 | USL PDL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2014 | MLS | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2015 | MLS | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | Total | Total | 24 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Seattle Sounders U-23 (loan) | 2014 | USL PDL | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Tacoma Defiance (loan) | 2015 | USL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Colorado Rapids | 2016 | MLS | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 |
| Colorado Rapids | 2017 | MLS | 30 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 1 |
| Colorado Rapids | 2018 | MLS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Colorado Rapids | Total | Total | 65 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 1 |
| Colorado Springs Switchbacks (loan) | 2018 | USL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Montreal Impact | 2018 | MLS | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Montreal Impact | 2019 | MLS | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 0 |
| Montreal Impact | Total | Total | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 1 |
| Chicago Fire | 2019 | MLS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chicago Fire | 2020 | MLS | 6 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Chicago Fire | Total | Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| New Mexico United | 2021 | USL Championship | 28 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | 1 |
| New Mexico United | 2022 | USL Championship | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| New Mexico United | Total | Total | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 235 | 13 | 15 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 262 | 17 |

* ↑ Appearance(s) in USL PDL playoffs
* 1 2 Appearance(s) and goal in USL Pro playoffs
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Appearance(s) in US Open Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in MLS Cup playoffs
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions League
* ↑ Appearance(s) in Canadian Championship

### International

    As of matches played on 16 July 2019

Uganda national team :

| Year | Apps | Goals |
| - | - | - |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 |

## Honours

Charleston Battery

* USL Pro Championship: 2012

### Seattle Sounders

* U.S Open Cup: 2014
* Supporters Shield: 2014
