Nigerian Footballers in Finland
KAJAANIN HAKA (KajHa) are not, in any sense of the word, a powerhouse of Finnish football. They play in Kajaani, for starters. A small town of 38,000 people in the north of Finland, not much happens there and Haka have done their utmost to continue that tradition.
They’ve had a few seasons in the top two divisions, a TUL (Workers’ Sport Association) title in 1999, and not much more. In 2006 their local rivals Kajaanin Palloilijat and FC Tarmo decided to join forces in an attempt to bring a higher standard of football to the city, and formed a new club called AC Kajaani. Now AC and KajHa battle it out in Kolmonen, the fourth tier of Finnish football, drawing crowds not much bigger than the proverbial three men and a dog.
The combined weight of sponsorship has seen AC shake things up through sheer financial strength, and when they poached KajHa’s Georgian midfielder Lasha Chkhaidze in the close season it was a sign that KajHa would have to work very hard to keep up.
Enter 28 year old Paul Nwachukwu and 23 year old Junior Obagbemiro. Junior’s career has taken him to the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Nepal, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. He was the top scorer in the 2007 Bangladeshi Championship, scoring 16 goals in 20 games for Brothers Union, before heading off to Sporting Clube de Goa in the Indian league. Nwachukwu got 14 goals in 2007 and was second in the scoring charts, but his club Mohammedans had a much better season and finished third in the league.
It was in Bangladesh that their paths to Kajaani began, when they met a former footballer who has now settled in Asia. “In Dhaka I met one of my idols, Ladi Babalola,” says Junior. “He played for Nigeria at the 1987 Under-20 World Championships, and everyone in Nigerian football looks up to him. He is friends with Mikko Perälä, who has connections at clubs in Finland. That’s how we started to think about coming to Europe.”
“Europe” is the key word here. Footballers in Asia often earn much more money than they do in Finland, but the chance to impress scouts in a bigger league is the main motivation for players to leave a comfortable career and a hefty wage packet to try their luck in Europe. And Finland is – just about – in Europe. So leaving behind the massive crowds and bigger pay packets of South Asia is an attractive option, even if the European option is not exactly at Champions League level.
“For us Africans the dream is to play in Europe,” continues Junior. “It is easier to prove yourself, to play for the national team and get transfers to big clubs from here than from Bangladesh.” The Bangladeshi League has provided players for Finnish clubs before. Stanley Festus was another of Babalola and Perälä’s imports, but unfortunately red tape and injuries have prevented him from making a big impact.
Now happily married and playing for HyPs in Kakkonen, Festus had an eventful few months when he first arrived in Finland back in 2004, after registration problems forced him to start at FC Raahe in Kolmonen. Festus became something of a cult figure among fans who followed his progress via the FutisForum2 messageboard, with ‘Stan the Man’ merchandise sold and a skate shop in Oulu providing him with clothes.
Things went a little bit smoother this time. Without a club to register Junior and his compatriot Paul Nwachukwu, before the end of April, they came to KajHa on trial and instantly showed their class. Coach Rauno Lesonen liked what he saw, and now the players are looking to improve their income and standing.
“Of course they are very good players in the third division,” laughs Lesonen. “We would like to keep them. But it all depends on their attitude, they are still learning about the culture and the playing style in Finland.”
“The players here are like a family,” says Junior. “We have a big group and we need a good team spirit. If I stay here we have to do something with the team, we have to get promotion. It’s a young team but they are good players and we can achieve something.”
The promotion charge suffered a major setback just before the mid-season break, when KajHa lost 2-1 to AC. A mischievous suggestion that maybe KajHa should have joined the merger brings a fierce response from chairman Jarmo Anttonen.
“I was born Haka!,” says the former KajHa captain, before modifying his stance slightly. “Well, I’ve played for them since I was six years old. Now we have a ’sinettiseura’ award from the Finnish Football Association for the quality of our work with youngsters, and I want to continue that work.”
Anttonen thinks for a bit, before settling on the best way to describe the difference between his club and the merged entity. “We are a family, and our family is better than theirs. They are only two years old. They don’t even have a family!”
Such bullishness is a pre-requisite for his position, as the chairman of the poorer club in a small footballing backwater in Northern Finland. KajHa are lucky to have found such good players, but they might not have them for long. Nwachukwu has a trial lined up in Italy, and Junior might well move within Finland. Anttonen will surely console himself with the knowledge that these lads are unlikely to move across town to AC.
This article also appeared in the July 11th edition of the Helsinki Times. For more in Finnish football, visit Egan’s blog Football in Finland.
Photo credit: jervelrivman on Flickr.
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i love football, that’s why i love this post.
quiet a few africans are now playing for European teams
Simply fantastic. I always wanted to learn more on this very subject.
Interesting topic. i Expect more info.
“I was born Haka!,” says the former KajHa captain, before modifying his stance slightly. “Well, I’ve played for them since I was six years old. Now we have a ’sinettiseura’ award from the Finnish Football Association for the quality of our work with youngsters, and I want to continue that work.”
yeahh
DEAR MANAGER, COACH, TECHNICAL ADVISER, MY NAME IS UCHECHUKWU nwaemeh DANILE FROM NIGERIA. I AM 18YEARS OLD AND I PLAY FOR UNDER 15, 17 AND IN JUNIOR TEAM. I AM A VERY TELENTED, FOCUSSED AND SKILLFULL PLAYER WITH GREAT POTENTIALS. I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY IN YOUR YOUTH FOOTBALL ACADEMY TEAM AND I PROMISE TO DO MY BEST IN THE UPLIFTING OF YOUR ESTEEMED FOOTBALL CLUB. I BELIVE THAT MY TRIALS WILL DEFINITELY CONVINCE YOU. I WAS BORN A FOOTBALLER AND WAS TRAINED AS A ULTILITE PLAYER AND I WOULD LOVE IF YOU GIVE ME THE CHANCE/OPPORTUNITY TO PROOVE MYSELF TO YOU AND THE CLUB. I AM A GOOD FOOTBALLER AND I WANT TO TAKE MY FOOTBALL CARRIER TO THE NEXT LEVEL. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO JOIN YOUR YOUTH FOOTBALL ACADEMY AS I WANT TO MAKE NIGERIANS PROUD OF ME. PLEASE KINDLY BRIEF ME ON HOW I CAN JOIN YOUR YOUTH FOOTBALL ACADEMY AS I PROMISE TO UPLIFT THE CLUB TO A GREATER HEIGHT. ATTACHED IS MY FOOTBALL CV FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH. I DO HOPE TO READ/HEAR FROM YOU COACH/MANAGER. THANK YOU. YOURS FAITHFULLY THIS MY PHONE NUMBER +2348080460051 OR E-MAIL CHIBEST_01@YAHOO.COM
Hello Football player,
Am Rob syrett am into football agent/management here in London Uk.i wish to inform you that i am working with premiership clubs and coca cola championship which is 1st Division here in England so i would want you to send to me your CV and your international passport copy to us to enable us secure an invitation letter for you to come down for trails/transfer when fifa transfer window re-open.
Apart from England i can fix you in order european club REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN,UZBESKISTAN and CYPRUS,First you have to start your trails here in
England.
Meanwhile, i can as well get you a team in QATAR if you love to play in QATAR
league.
I wait to hear from you so we can start working immediately on your
trails/transfer.
Thank You.
Best Sporting Regards
Rob Syrett
Football Player’s Agent
London England.
Mobile: +447045758327
E-mail: robsyrett_agentfootball@yahoo.com
E-mail: rs_agentfootball01@yahoo.com
E-mail: robsyrett@live.fr
Goodluck!!!!
Hello Football Club Management,
I Have Nigerian and African Young Talented Football Players Ready For Trails/ Transfer to any part of the world, Greetings, it’s my pleasure writing your football club, Regarding football players transfer from Nigerian and African, talented football players.
First let me introduce my self i ‘m Michael Nicholas Osita (Mr.) . i
am a football player’s agent i also owned FOOTBALL ACADEMY ) and MD/CEO, OF A FOOTBALL ACADEMY ) here in Nigeria. i want to use this great medium to inform you that i have great players ready to open market for trails and transfer from Nigaria and Africa to overseas/abroad from my FOOTBALL ACADEMY ,Nigeria professional premier league. i have great and talented players like, Nigerians and African Football Legends like, George Weah, who was world/ African Footballer of the year 1995, Samuel Eto’o , who was World footballer of the year (No.3)Best 2005.
Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi martins, Jay Jay Okocha, and john obi
mikel, Didier Drogba and many more. i will like to know what is your considerations over the players. please note: Nigeria and African Football players are Hot in World Football market today.
i have a lot of quality, strong, tall,skilful,speed, hard working and staminar nigerian and African football players right now. i have tested all the boys i have ready now for transfer, they are ok.
African Football players are very hard working on the field/pitch of playing the combination of Toure and Eboue the 2 Defenders of Arsenal FC guided Arsenal to the UEFA Champions League final for the first time ever in the history of Arsenal.
I would want to send my players on trails to your club after the trails we can wait for january 2007 transfer window for the transfer of the players that will come over for your club and country for trails.
Kindly get back to me as soon as possible. we hope to do
business in good faith with your Football Club Management.
We Look forward to hearing from you soon.
For more details please contact us here.
Michael Nicholas Osita (Mr.)
Football Player’s Agent From Nigeria
Tell: +234-803-825-9271
Email: globalsports2@yahoo.com
Email: ossyfootball13@yahoo.com
Thank You.
It is quite amazing how all the vermin come crawling out of the woodwork eventually!
Well here is the TRUE story. If you wish to find a list of REAL football agents go to the official FIFA website and at the page http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/list.html you will find a list of all the officially accredited football agents operating anywhere in the world today.
It will come as no surprise to any of you to discover that Rob Syrett and Michael Nicholas Osita are NOT on that list so as far as the world governing body of football is concerned they are making false representation.
Syrett’s name can be found all over the place in forums and answers to desperate young footballers who are looking to get a break. His English is not native so the chances of his real name being Rob Syrett are pretty small. This is not an agent. This is a fraud!
Osita’s posting above is exactly the same as the letter that he has sent to countless other forums and web boards. Another charlatan. This is not an agent. This is a fraud!
Pitchinvasion.Net Admin - Please remove the above postings as these sick individuals are just trying to prey on the dreams of young guys who will do anything to get ahead in the game. Get these crooks off your website now and by so doing make a statement to real fans that you will not tolerate these scum.
“Well, I’ve played for them since I was six years old. Now we have a ’sinettiseura’ award from the Finnish
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Saintfiet was horrible and that was every bit the reason why he got canned
Great article, very well written and thought out!
Great article, very well written and thought out! it was a cool one u can still improve it.
Tom Saintfiet was a worseless coach.
A nice and informaive post on graph papers. Thankyou for the post.
I like that picture real foggy and awesome to time to be there, yes I think its my personal thought. Anyways, Nigerians have been good ball players I should say, I was in my school ball team and had a couple of Nigerians colleague. Wow man they were awesome just could do anything with the ball..
You certainly have a very good knowledge about other nations. Good read..
Do they play other sports in Finland?
Nice site and a good read ty.
Tom Saintfiet was fired after 4 or 5 games for not picking all Namibian players in the starting eleven.
PHIL,good job.I already know they are scammers.But how would those lads know about them?because some of them are very desperate to travel abroad.I doubt if these bastards has children at all
I love football. it’s been my dream to play it, but it ain’t popular in my country, so I have no one to play with.