Sporting Lagos Football Academy’s Yussuf Abdullahi has had a wild ride.
Although he had recent triumphs at Gothia Cup 2024, at one point, the 18 year-old striker gave up football to sell watermelons. After 6 months of hawking fruit, Abdullahi’s coach convinced him to come back to the academy – with a lie.
According to Abdullahi in a recent interview: “(My coach) called me and said I was wasting my talent. That a club in Spain had watched me and wanted to sign me, but I wasn’t around…I left the watermelons and came back to football immediately. No club came, but I just decided to keep playing.”
A shot at greatness
It wasn’t until 2 years after Abdullahi’s stint selling watermelon that he seriously thought he had a shot at becoming a footballer. The realisation came when a fellow Nigerian player was signed by FC Midtjylland in Denmark.
“Seeing this signing is also why I wasn’t interested in a Nigerian club,” said Abdullahi. “Because if someone I knew could get signed just like that, why not me?”
More than just football
Now at Sporting Lagos Football Academy, Abdullahi has his sights on Europe. Like for many of his peers, football is more than just a sport. He says:
“I have so much to play for. My dad is getting old. I have seven siblings. I have my mother. I need to show them that they were right to trust me to become a footballer. I need to play to show what I’m capable of, and what this team is capable of. I need to score goals. This is a great opportunity for me.”
Sporting Lagos is an Eyeball partner club, so you can catch all of Adullahi’s games on the platform – including the 2024 Gothia Puma Trophy-winning final.
Find talent in Africa with Eyeball
Yussuf Adullahi’s story represents a lot of talented and focused youth players to be found within the African continent. A subscription to Eyeball Africa gives you access to 11 countries, 90 academies, and 85% of National team players.
Get in on the action with an Eyeball Africa subscription:https://www.eyeball.club/scouting-landing/