Football: Africans in Swedish premiership this season
Eritrean international Henok Goitom led AIK to the title last season
Photo: sportbloggare.com
About 60 African players (or players of African descent) will this season play in Sweden’s top football championship, the Allsvenskan, which begins on March 30.
Eritrean striker Henok Goitom, who captained AIK to the title last season, will continue in that role.
His teammates include defender Heradi Rashidi of DR Congo, Ghanaian midfielder Enock Adu, Somali midfielder Bilal Hussein and Nigerian striker Chinedu Obasi.
AFC Eskilstuna will parade three African midfielders: Somali Ferid Ali, Guinean Ousmane Camara and Malian Mamadou Kouyate. Their teammates include strikers Samuel Nnamani and Kerfala Cissoko of Nigeria and Guinea respectively.
At BK Hacken are Nigerian back Godswill Ekpolo, Ghanaian midfielder Nasiru Mohammed and his compatriot, striker Kwame Kizito.
There are two Africans at Djurgarden: Zambian midfielder Edward Chilufya and striker Mohammed Buya Turay of Sierra Leone.
Nigerian midfielder Dominic Chatto, Burundian midfielder Passi Prudence and Nigerian strikers Nsima Peter and John Chibuike are on the books of Falkenberg while Sundsvall will feature Guinean defender Pa Konate, DR Congo forward Maic Sema, Liberian striker Peter Wilson and striker Chidi Omeje of Nigeria.
Ivorian defender Odilou Kossounou and Gabonese midfielder Serge Junior Ngouali are plying their trade at Hammarby while Helsingborg will line up Ghanaian midfielders Mamudu Moro and Mohammed Abubakari. Others are Congolese forward Noel Mbo and Zimbabwean midfielder Kundai Benyu.
Senegalese youngster Marokhy Ndione is the sole African at Elfsborg.
IFK Gothenburg’s African continent include Defender Kristofer da Graca of Cape Verde, Ghanaian midfielder Lawson Sabah, Moroccan Junes Barny and DR Congo’s Nzuzi Toko. Others are Nigerian midfielder Alhassan Yusuf and Ghanaian midfielder Adil Titi.
At Norrkoping are Manasse Kusu, a DR Congolese midfieder and Egyptian midfielder Alexander Jakobsen.
Sirius will feature Gambian defender Kebba Ceesay, Nigerian attacker Henry Offia and DR Congolese midfielder Sylvian Kayembe. The rest are Nigerian John Igbarumah, Ivory Coast’s Abdul Razak and Eritrean Mohammed Saeid.
Nigerian defenders Chimas Akas and Gbenga Arokoyo are at Kalmar where their teammates include fellow Nigerian midfielder Chidiebere Nwakali, Rwandan midfielder York Rafael, Moroccan forward Moestafa El Kabir and Pape Diouf, an attacker from Senegal.
Fouad Bachirou, a midfielder from Comoros and Bonke Innocent will don the colors of Malmo while Nigerian midfielder Michael Omoh is the lone African flag-bearer at Orebro.
The club with the largest African representation is Ostersund. They are Guinean keeper Aly Keita, Ghanaian defenders Sam Mensiro and Patrick Kpozo. Others are Ugandan back Ronald Mukiibi, Eritrean midfielder Tesfaldet Tekie, Nigerian forward Alhaji Gero and gambian Noah Sonko Sundberg.
