Ibrahim Babatunde
Nigerian association football player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olalekan Ibrahim Babatunde (born 29 December 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss 4. Liga club FC Ravecchia.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Olalekan Ibrahim Babatunde | ||
| Date of birth | 29 December 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position | 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
Babatunde, a striker, 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 for 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. He won the 2008–09 Serie D title with the Campania-based team and was promoted 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