New Telegraph

Nigeria’s Sadiq leading Almería’s promotion push

Kaduna-born striker, Umar Sadiq, has set LaLiga Smart- Bank, Spain’s second tier, on fire this season and is propelling his side, Almeria, to promotion to the big time.

 

UD Almería have not been in Spain’s top division since the 2014/15 season, but the club from the Southern city of the same name are serious contenders for promotion in 2020/21.

 

 

Sadiq, their towering 24-yearold Nigerian forward, is perhaps the most important factor in their push, and with 11 LaLiga goals this season has propelled the club into third place in the La- Liga SmartBank. His presence in Almeria is down to the sporting project laid out by Turki Al-Sheikh, who took over the club in 2019.

 

The club is committed to signing some of the best talent around, no matter whether from Spain or abroad. They currently boast the second youngest squad in the division, yet also one of the most valuable.

 

Having just turned 24, Sadiq is oddly enough one of the oldest in the squad. He’s also one of the club’s most expensive ever signings, after his multi-million Euro transfer from Partizan Belgrade last summer.

 

There was a lot of pressure on his shoulders this season, with a lot expected of him, but he is thriving. Born in Kaduna, Nigeria, Sadiq came through the Future of Africa Football Academy and the Football College Abuja on his way to the top.

 

 

He made the move to Europe first to Italy, joining the Spezia youth academy and then on to Roma, who he debuted for and scored for at the age of 18.

 

“We have a lot of confidence in him,” says Almería coach José Manuel Gomes of Sadiq. “He’s a striker who disrupts opposition centre-backs, who has quality, who is very strong and who can score goals.”

Read Previous

Virtual learning: BAF, Coca-Cola to train underserved schools

Read Next

Nwabunike tasks freight forwarders on compliance

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *