Ibrahim Babatunde

Olalekan Ibrahim Babatunde (born 29 December 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss 4. Liga club FC Ravecchia.

Ibrahim Babatunde
Personal information
Full name Olalekan Ibrahim Babatunde
Date of birth (1984-12-29) 29 December 1984
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Ravecchia
Number 11
Youth career
2000–2002 Parma
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2003 Arezzo 5 (0)
2003–2004 Piacenza 5 (0)
2004–2005 Mons 18 (2)
2005–2007 Msida St. Joseph 48 (18)
2007–2008 Horsens 6 (0)
2008–2010 Nocerina 40 (9)
2011–2012 Birkirkara 11 (3)
2013–2014 Daugava 24 (8)
2014–2015 Racing Beirut 11 (1)
2015–2016 Saronno ? (?)
2016–2017 Garda 24 (15)
2017–2018 Vedeggio ? (?)
2018–2019 Novazzano 11 (3)
2019–2020 Real Melegnano ? (?)
2020–2021 Vedeggio ? (?)
2021–2022 Locarno ? (?)
2022- Ravecchia ? (?)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

A striker, Babatunde began his career in Italy where he entered the youth system at Parma in 2008. After a brief stint with Arezzo, he made his Serie A debut in the 2002–03 season for Piacenza against his former club Parma, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Claudio Ferrarese in a 2–3 away loss at Stadio Ennio Tardini.[2]

After only two appearances in Serie A,[3] and three in the Serie B the following season, after Piacenza had suffered relegation,[4] Babatunde had spells in Belgium, at Mons, and then in Malta, at Msida St. Joseph. At the latter, he was voted as the Malta Football Best Foreign Player award.[5] In 2007, he signed with Danish Superliga club AC Horsens.[6] He was first the subject of racist taunts in a match on 26 September 2007 against Næstved Boldklub.[7] Babatunde was the subject of racism again in a friendly against Holstein Kiel in January 2018, when Kiel-player Peter Schyrba called him "an animal".[8]

In 2008, Babatunde returned to Italy to play for Nocerina. With the Campania-based team he won the 2008–09 Serie D title and subsequent promotion to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione.[9] Following an injury, he left the club in 2010.[10]

In February 2011, Babatunde returned to Malta, reaching an agreement with Birkirkara.[5] At the end of the season he left the club when his contract expired,[11] and in March 2013, he joined Latvian Higher League champions Daugava and helped them win the Latvian Supercup.[12] In September 2014 he moved to the Lebanese Premier League side Racing Beirut,[13] before returning to Italy in 2015 playing for amateur clubs Saronno, Garda, Vedeggio, Novazzano and Real Melegnano the following years.[14][15][16]

In July 2021, Babatunde made his footballing comeback signing for FC Locarno in the sixth-tier Swiss 2. Liga.[14]

Honours

Daugava

References
  1. "Ibrahim Babatunde, statistik fra superligaen, all-time - SuperStats". superstats.dk. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. "Parma AC - Piacenza Calcio 3:2 (Serie A 2002/2003, 33. Round)". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. "La rosa 2002/2003". Storia Piacenza 1919. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. "La rosa 2003/2004". Storia Piacenza 1919. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  5. "Birkirkara FC - Player Profile". Birkirkara FC. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  6. Nielsen, Kasper (31 August 2007). "Horsens henter nigeriansk angriber". bold.dk (in Danish).
  7. Helmin, Jesper (27 September 2007). "Abelyde mod Horsens-spiller". bold.dk (in Danish).
  8. Helmin, Jesper (30 January 2008). "Horsens-angriber udsat for racisme". bold.dk (in Danish).
  9. "La Nocerina vince la finale play-off". Spezia Calcio - Sito ufficiale (in Italian). 30 June 2009.
  10. Esposito, Luca (8 September 2010). "Nocerina, Babatunde verso l'addio". TuttoC.com (in Italian).
  11. "Birkirkara FC - First Team Transfers". Birkirkara FC. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. "Virslīgas pieteikumi: Gongadze "Ilūkstē", komandām jauni leģionāri". Sportacentrs.com. 24 March 2013.
  13. "Exclusive : Racing Club Beirut Snap Up Babatunde On One - Year Deal:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". All Nigeria Soccer. 25 September 2014.
  14. "Locarno, altro colpo: preso Babatunde". laborsport.com (in Italian). 20 July 2021.
  15. "Colpo Novazzano: dal Vedeggio arriva l'esperto Babatunde". laborsport.com (in Italian). 8 August 2018.
  16. "Benvenuto a Ibrahim Babatunde". Real Melegnano (in Italian). 11 January 2019.
  17. "Daugavpils "Daugava" kļūst par pirmo Latvijas Superkausa ieguvēju". Sportacentrs.com (in Latvian). 9 March 2013.
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