Rabiu Ibrahim

Rabiu Ibrahim (born 15 March 1991) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Slovak club ŠK Slovan Bratislava as an attacking midfielder.

Rabiu Ibrahim
Ibrahim in 2014
Personal information
Full name Rabiu Ibrahim
Date of birth (1991-03-15) 15 March 1991
Place of birth Kano, Nigeria
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Slovan Bratislava
Number 10
Youth career
2004–2007 Gateway
2007–2009 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Sporting CP 0 (0)
2009–2010 → Real Massamá (loan) 1 (0)
2011 PSV 2 (0)
2012–2013 Celtic 1 (0)
2013–2014 Kilmarnock 16 (0)
2014–2016 Trenčín 46 (10)
2016–2017 Gent 4 (0)
2017– Slovan Bratislava 58 (4)
National team‡
2007 Nigeria U17 7 (3)
2009 Nigeria U20 6 (3)
2011 Nigeria U23 2 (0)
2015– Nigeria 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 December 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2015

Club career

Sporting

Ibrahim was born in Kano. In summer 2007, he signed for Sporting CP for €450,000, in a joint ownership agreement with his previous club Gateway FC.[1] Shortly afterwards, it was reported that Premier League sides Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal[2] were interested in signing him,[3][4] but nothing came of it.

In late 2007, Ibrahim was included by World Soccer in its 50 Most Exciting Teen Footballers list[5] and, in March of the following year, he was featured by InsideFutbol.com in an article on young African footballers including Emmanuel Adebayor, Mario Balotelli and John Obi Mikel.[6] In January 2009, he appeared in Goal.com's list of 10 African Players to Watch,[7] and The Times' Football's Top 50 Rising Stars.[8]

With Sporting, Ibrahim participated in the 2008 Bellinzona Under-19 International Tournament, with the Portuguese eventually winning the trophy. In the competition, in which he was eventually voted as the best player, he was deployed as a classic number 10 in a 4–2–3–1 system; one year later, he again led the Lisbon team to the final stage of the same tournament.[9]

In October 2009, Ibrahim twice rejected Sporting's offer of a professional contract,[10] and was at that time sent on loan to Real S.C. in the third division. In January 2010 he drew interest from Scottish Premier League's Celtic,[11] but the deal never materialised due to undisclosed reasons believed to involve work permit issues.[12]

In 2010, Ibrahim left Sporting as a free agent. Subsequently, Dutch side VVV-Venlo tried to sign him in partnership with a United Kingdom-based consortium, but the negotiations broke down due to financial issues.[13] In December, shortly after Damien Comolli was appointed director of football at Anfield, the player was again linked to Liverpool.[14]

PSV

In January 2011, Ibrahim went on trial with Eerste Divisie club Telstar through an investment group.[15] After performing well in a friendly against PSV Eindhoven and later being described as one of the best players in the match by the team's coach,[16] he was quickly offered a contract, pending a valid work permit from the Royal Dutch Football Association.[17]

However, Telstar could not afford to sign Ibrahim even with the help of private investors.[18] Subsequently, he went on trial with PSV, scoring twice in a 2–0 win against their reserves in a practice match – the first team's coach, Fred Rutten, said: "Ibrahim is fast, technically skilled, physically strong and has a good sense of field position, there is something in that boy";[19] on 11 March 2011, he agreed to a deal at the Eredivisie side.[20]

In December 2011, Ibrahim's agent reached a mutual agreement with PSV to terminate the player's contract, because of limited first-team action.[21]

Celtic

On 18 January 2012, Celtic announced that, after a successful trial period, they had agreed terms to sign Ibrahim on a three and-a-half-year deal, pending a work permit application which was granted five days later.[22] He revealed that he turned down a move to clubs in England and Germany to join the Glasgow team, believing it could help him restore his reputation.[23]

Ibrahim made his debut on 3 May 2012, coming on as a 74th-minute substitute in a 1–0 home win against St Johnstone: his cross gave Gary Hooper the chance to score, but he was offside.[24]

Kilmarnock

On 2 January 2013, Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels confirmed that Ibrahim had signed a two-year contract with the club on a free transfer. The 21-year-old decided to move to Rugby Park in search of regular first-team football;[25] he also stated that his choice was due to his new team having a similar style to that of FC Barcelona,[26] whilst Shiels said that the move was good for the player's career and that he would attempt to 'get inside his head' to help him find his form.[27]

Ibrahim made his debut for the East Ayrshire team two weeks after signing, coming on as a substitute for Paul Heffernan in a goalless draw against Dundee United.[28] He finished his first season with only six appearances.

On 19 October 2013, Ibrahim collapsed in the first half of a league fixture against Ross County and was taken to the nearby University Hospital Crosshouse.[29] The following January, both he and his compatriot Reuben Gabriel were released.[30]

International career

Ibrahim was a member of the Nigerian under-17 team in the 2007 FIFA World Cup in South Korea, scoring in the first match against France as the nation went on to win the competition.[31] Before the tournament, he had been dubbed "the new Jay-Jay Okocha",[32][33] and helped the side win that year's Africa U-17 Cup of Nations held in Togo, scoring twice against Eritrea in the group stage (8–0).[34]

Aged 16, he was included in the senior squad by German coach Berti Vogts for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations,[35] with his under-17 teammate Haruna Lukman.[36] However, a groin injury prevented him from participating in the tournament.[37]

In 2009, Ibrahim helped Nigeria to win bronze in the African Youth Championship in Rwanda, netting against Ivory Coast and South Africa,[38][39] with the national team securing a place in that year's FIFA U-20 World Cup where he appeared in three matches, scoring against Germany in the 2–3 round-of-16 loss;[31] in addition to his six goals in the youth levels, he also provided many assists.[12]

In the following years, Ibrahim continued to be closely watched by the Nigerian senior coaches, with Samson Siasia claiming in the media in April 2010 that he was one of only two players who could solve the country's attacking midfield problems.[40][41] Siasia was appointed in November 2010[42] and the player was called up to his first camp ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, but the manager in charge was now Stephen Keshi.

Ibrahim earned his first full cap on 13 June 2015, playing for 32 minutes in a 2–0 home win over Chad in Kaduna for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[43]

Personal life

Ibrahim is a practising Muslim.[44]

Club statistics
As of 15 October 2017[45]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
App Goals Assists App Goals Assists App Goals Assists App Goals Assists App Goals Assists
PSV 2011–12 200211––411
Total 200211––411
Celtic 2011–12 100000000–100
2012–13 000100000–100
Total 100100000–200
Kilmarnock 2012–13 601000000–601
2013–14 1001000100–1101
Total 1602000100–1702
Trencin 2014–15 1741410––2151
2015–16 2657510–2003367
2016–17 310000–400710
Total 46108920–60061128
Gent 2016–17 400100–300800
Total 400100–300800
Slovan Bratislava 2017–18 800000–000800
Total 800000–000800
Career Total 75101013311009001091311

Honours

Club

PSV

Celtic

Trenčín[46]

Slovan Bratislava

International

Nigeria

References
  1. "Oferta pública de subscrição – Prospecto" [Public offer for subscription – Prospect] (PDF) (in Portuguese). Sporting CP. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  2. Arsenal, interest for Rabiu Ibrahim; Football Press, 7 October 2007
  3. Fergie chases Rabiu; Daily Mirror, 20 September 2007
  4. Papers: Boss eyes whizz-kid; Manchester United, 20 September 2007
  5. Top 50 Most Exciting Teen Footballers (2007); Soccer Lens, 29 November 2007
  6. African players with eyes on world domination; Inside Futbol, March 2008
  7. Ten African players to watch in 2009; Goal, 1 January 2009
  8. Football's top 50 rising stars; The Times, 12 January 2009
  9. PSV set to help Ibrahim Rabiu out of the wilderness; Inside Futbol, 10 March 2011
  10. Nigeria's Rabiu Ibrahim rejects Sporting CP's pro deal; Goal, 4 October 2009
  11. Celtic interested in the African Messi; BBC, January 2010
  12. Rabiu Ibrahim – 19-year-old starlet tracked by Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United currently a free agent; IM Scouting, 11 December 2010
  13. Rabiu Ibrahims Dutch move fails; African Football, 15 August 2010
  14. Liverpool wonderkid target now available on free; Give Me Football, 11 December 2010
  15. Telstar contracteert supertalent Ibrahim Rabiu (19) (ex-Sporting Lissabon) (Telstar sign super talent Ibrahim Rabiu (19) (ex-Sporting Lisbon)); Voetbal Tube, 31 January 2011 (in Dutch), archived from the original
  16. Telstar hoopt na de winter het Nigeriaanse duo te krijgen (Telstar hope to get Nigerian duo after the winter); Voetbal International, 12 January 2011 (in Dutch)
  17. Trots Telstar: 'Dit is dé Rabiu Ibrahim' (Proud Telstar: "This is Rabiu Ibrahim"); Voetbal Primeur, 31 January 2011 (in Dutch)
  18. Rabiu on trials at PSV; MTN Football, 4 March 2011
  19. PSV wil Nigeriaan Ibrahim vastleggen (PSV want to capture Nigerian Ibrahim); Eindhovens Dagblad, 4 March 2011 (in Dutch)
  20. PSV legt transfervrije stagiair Ibrahim lang vast (PSV capture transfer-free intern Ibrahim for a long time); Voetbal International, 11 March 2011 (in Dutch)
  21. PSV en jeugdinternational Ibrahim alweer uit elkaar; Soccer News, 26 December 2011
  22. "Ibrahim signs Celtic contract". FIFA. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  23. "I snubbed clubs in England and Germany to join Celtic, says Rabiu Ibrahim". Daily Record. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  24. "Celtic 1–0 St Johnstone". BBC Sport. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  25. "Kilmarnock have signed Celtic midfielder Rabiu Ibrahim". Sky Sports. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  26. "Rabiu Ibrahim: I chose Kilmarnock because they played like Barcelona against Celtic". Daily Record. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  27. "Kenny Shields plans to 'get inside his head' to find the best of Rabiu Ibrahim". Daily Record. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  28. "Rabiu Ibrahim debuts for Kilmarnock". MTN Football. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  29. "Kilmarnock star Rabiu Ibrahim still in hospital after collapsing in Rugby Park win over Ross County". Daily Record. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  30. "Nigerian Gabriel Reuben released by Kilmarnock". BBC Sport. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  31. Rabiu Ibrahim – FIFA competition record
  32. "The burden of Okocha's heir – Rabiu Ibrahim looks to a brighter Nigeria career". Goal. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  33. Nigeria (NGA); at FIFA
  34. African U17 round-up; BBC Sport, 11 March 2007
  35. Anichebe out of Nigeria squad; Sky Sports, 11 December 2007
  36. Vogts dumps Anichebe – Picks Haruna Lukman, Rabiu Ibrahim; All Africa, 12 December 2007
  37. Rabiu gets Super Eagles recall; All Africa, 23 September 2009
  38. Nigeria, South Africa into AYC semis; BBC Sport, 24 January 2009
  39. Ghana win African Youth Champs; BBC Sport, 1 February 2009
  40. Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu tips Rabiu Ibrahim for glory; Goal, 10 August 2009
  41. Siasia makes case for Rabiu Ibrahim; Africa Plays, 21 April 2010
  42. Samson Siasia is appointed Nigeria's new coach; BBC Sport, 4 November 2010
  43. "AFCON 2017 Qualifiers: Super Eagles beat Chad in Kaduna". Premium Times. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  44. "Allan Johnston keen to ensure Kilmarnock avoid transfer 'mistakes'". STV News. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  45. "I. Rabiu". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  46. "I. Rabiu – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
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