Falone Sumaili

Falone Sumaili (born 16 June 2001) is a Burundian footballer who plays as a striker for English club Huddersfield Town and the Burundi women's national team.

Falone Sumaili
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-06-16) 16 June 2001[1]
Place of birth DR Congo
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Huddersfield Town
Number 34
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 Bradford City
2021– Huddersfield Town
International career‡
Burundi
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:03, 5 November 2021 (UTC)`
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:43, 22 August 2019 (UTC)

Early life

Sumaili was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2001, however, her family was forced to move to Burundi due to the Second Congo War, before later applying for refugee status in the United Kingdom.[2] She first formally joined a women's football club at age sixteen after years of playing street football with the boys. Her uncle and her grandfather both played football, but her mother was skeptical.[3]

Club career

Sumaili began her career in Burundi with the club La Columbe.[4] She played amateur football in both Uganda and Tanzania.[2] She moved to England as a refugee and signed for Bradford City in 2018. She scored a hat-trick on the opening day of the 2019–20 season, and went on to score 13 goals in 33 appearances, making her the club's top scorer.[2][5][6]

Sumaili moved to Huddersfield Town in summer 2021.[7] In 2022, she scored 16 goals in 17 games for their Development Team.[8] With the Development Team, she reached the semi-finals of the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup. She earned a call-up to the first team for the 2022 Cup final.[9] She made 6 appearances for the first team during the 2022-23 season.[8]

International career

Sumaili plays for the Burundi women's national team. She participated in their second-place finish at the 2022 CECAFA Women's Championship. She also played in the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations group stage, Burundi's first ever appearance in the tournament.[6][10]

References
  1. Falone Sumaili at Soccerway
  2. Howorth, Alasdair (10 July 2022). "Falone Sumaili: From Bujumbura to Rabat, via Bradford". Her Football Hub. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  3. "Burundi to Bradford: Lighting up the Women's Football League". copa90.com.
  4. Mehrish, Akshat (7 December 2022). "Falone Sumaili: From fleeing war-torn DR Congo to WAFCON with Burundi". FIFA. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  5. "Sumaili hat-trick gets Bradford City Women off to a flier". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  6. Musembi, Peter (27 June 2022). "Women's Afcon 2022: Burundi striker Falone Sumaili unfazed by Africa's heavyweights". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  7. Gott, Khya (31 August 2021). "CATCH UP: Town Devs Pre-Season".
  8. "Falone Sumaili Player Stats". The FA. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  9. "TOWN WOMEN IN CUP FINAL ACTION ON SATURDAY". HTAFC. 28 April 2022. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  10. Mehrish, Akshat (22 October 2022). "Flight of the Swallows: Burundi Women's team bringing joy to a nation". FIFA. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.


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