Abdisalam Ibrahim
FullnameAbdisalam Abdulkadir Ibrahim[1]
Birth date1 May 1991 (age 35)
Birth placeMogadishu, Somalia
Height1.85m
PositionMidfielder
Youthyears 11998–2002
Youthclubs 1Øyer-Tretten
Youthyears 22002–2005
Youthclubs 2Lørenskog
Youthyears 32005–2007
Youthclubs 3Fjellhamar
Youthyears 42007–2010
Youthclubs 4Manchester City
Years 12006–2007
Clubs 1Fjellhamar
Caps 14
Goals 10
Years 22007–2014
Clubs 2Manchester City
Caps 21
Goals 20
Years 32011
Clubs 3→ Scunthorpe United (loan)
Caps 311
Goals 30
Years 42011–2012
Clubs 4→ NEC (loan)
Caps 48
Goals 41
Years 52012–2013
Clubs 5→ Strømsgodset (loan)
Caps 538
Goals 55
Years 62012–2013
Clubs 6→ Strømsgodset 2 (loan)
Caps 64
Goals 61
Years 72014–2015
Clubs 7Olympiacos
Caps 71
Goals 70
Years 82014
Clubs 8→ Ergotelis (loan)
Caps 812
Goals 81
Years 92015–2016
Clubs 9Veria
Caps 97
Goals 90
Years 102016–2017
Clubs 10Viking
Caps 1025
Goals 102
Years 112016
Clubs 11→ Viking 2
Caps 111
Goals 111
Years 122017–2018
Clubs 12Vålerenga
Caps 1233
Goals 120
Years 132017–2018
Clubs 13→ Vålerenga 2
Caps 1314
Goals 133
Years 142019–2020
Clubs 14Pafos
Caps 149
Goals 140
Years 152019
Clubs 15→ Riga (loan)
Caps 152
Goals 150
Years 162021
Clubs 16Bisceglie
Caps 161
Goals 160
Years 172022
Clubs 17 Ullensaker/Kisa
Caps 178

Abdisalam Abdulkadir Ibrahim (born 1 May 1991) is a footballer who last played as a midfielder for Ullensaker/Kisa in the OBOS-ligaen.[2][3] Born in Somalia, he has represented the Norway national team.

Club career

Early career

Born in Somalia, Ibrahim moved to Norway in 1998.[4] He began his football career as a youth in Norway with Øyer-Tretten before eventually moving to Lørenskog, where he played for Fjellhamar. He got his debut for Fjellhamar's senior team in 2006.[5]

He transferred to Manchester City effective from 1 July 2007.[6] In the spring of 2008, he was on the winning team in the FA Youth Cup final, as Manchester City beat Chelsea 4–2 on aggregate.[7]

Ibrahim played as a midfielder. At the age of 18, his style of play was compared by some at the club to then teammate Patrick Vieira.[8]

Ibrahim made his senior debut starting on 24 January 2010, in the FA Cup game against Scunthorpe United.[9] He was on the bench in the 3–1 defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, as well as the match against Portsmouth at Eastlands on 31 January. On 21 February 2010, he made his Premier League debut as a substitute for Manchester City in a 0–0 draw against Liverpool. Ibrahim was rewarded with a new contract on 7 April 2010, which tied him to the club until 2014.[10] Ibrahim made his League Cup debut and first starting appearance at West Brom on Wednesday, 22 September 2010.[11]

On 14 January 2011, it was announced that he would join Scunthorpe United on loan for one month,[12] this loan period subsequently being extended in mid-February to the end of the season.[13]

On 31 July 2011, it was announced that he would join Dutch Eredivisie side NEC on a season-long loan deal.[14] Ibrahim featured in two cup matches and had eight Eredivisie spells scoring one goal before the loan deal was terminated on 22 March on mutual consent because Ibrahim had trouble with his role on the bench for most of the season.[15]

Ibrahim spent the second half of the 2012 season on loan with Strømsgodset, before he again was on six-month loan to Godset in January 2013.[16] In the 2013 season, Ibrahim played 17 matches for Strømsgodset when the team won the Tippeligaen, which was his first title as a pro.[17]

On 22 January 2014, Ibrahim's was released from his contract at Manchester City, having resided in the United Kingdom for three and a half years.

Greece

On 24 January 2014, Ibrahim announced that he is joining Greek champions club Olympiacos for the next 3.5 years.[18] Ibrahim made just one appearance for the Greek champions and he immediately joined Superleague club Ergotelis on loan until the end of the season [19] On the beginning of 2014–15 season he returned to Olympiacos.

After being released on a free transfer from Olympiacos, Ibrahim signed a two-year contract with the Greek club Veria on 24 August 2015.[20] Ibrahim debuted on 29 August 2015 in a 2–0 away win against Panthrakikos. He was sent off against his former club, Olympiacos on the 31 October 2015.

Back to Norway

On 13 January 2016, Ibrahim signed a contract with Norwegian Tippeligaen club Viking. His contract lasts for three years, until 31 December 2018.

Ibrahim signed with Vålerenga in March 2017, and left the club again at the end of the 2018 season.[21]

Cyprus

He joined Cypriot team Pafos as a free agent on deadline day, 31 January 2019.[22][23] On 30 August he was substituted against AEK Larnaca only 36 minutes into Pafos' second Cypriot First Division game of the season, due to an injury.[24] He was later ruled out for six to eight months.

Italy

On 24 March 2021, he joined Italian third-tier Serie C club Bisceglie.[25]

International career

At international level, Ibrahim has represented Norway at every age group from Under 15 to Under 21. He is still eligible for both his native country Somalia as well as his adopted country, but has stated a desire to represent the Norwegian national team if called up.[26] On 15 January 2014, he made his debut with the national team in a 2–1 away friendly win against Moldova. Having never featured for Norway in a competitive match, Ibrahim remains potentially eligible for Somalia national team.

Personal life

Abdisalam has an older brother, Abdirashid Ibrahim, a semi-professional footballer formerly of FC United of Manchester and Rossendale United.[27] He also has a little brother, Abdijabar Ibrahim, who attends ESSA Academy. Ibrahim was an Arsenal fan when growing up and Patrick Vieira was his hero and more recently Yaya Toure.[28] His nickname is Abdi.[29] Within a few weeks in the late spring of 2013, his younger sister died and Ibrahim became a father for the first time.[30]

References

  1. ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/08/2011 and 31/08/2011". The Football Association. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  2. ^ "Abdisalam vil gå foran". aftenposten.no.
  3. ^ "Abdis ensomme vei tilbake: - Når jeg spilte kamp sist? Oi, det er lenge siden". norskfotball.com.
  4. ^ Einstad, Knut Jarle (25 January 2010). "Stjernedebut for Ibrahim" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet
  5. ^ Bakkehaug, Wegard (1 November 2006). "Fjellhamars Vieira" (in Norwegian). Romerikes Blad. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Dette er Abdis nye lekegrind" (in Norwegian). Romerikes Blad. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  7. ^ Bakkehaug, Wegard (18 April 2008). "Svennis feiret Abdi og gullgutta" (in Norwegian). Romerikes Blad
  8. ^ "Abdisalam Ibrahim". Manchester City F.C. Archived 6 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  9. ^ Ashdown, John (24 January 2010). "Scunthorpe Utd v Manchester City – as it happened". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  10. ^ "Manchester City First Team News | Manchester City FC". Mcfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  11. ^ "West Brom 2–1 Man City". BBC News. 22 September 2010.
  12. ^ "Man City youngster signs on loan". scunthorpe-united.co.uk. (Scunthorpe United Football Club). 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  13. ^ "Scunthorpe extend Abdisalam Ibrahim loan". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  14. ^ "Manchester City First Team News | Manchester City FC". Mcfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  15. ^ "Abdisalam Ibrahim vertrekt per direct bij N.E.C.". Nec-nijmegen.nl. 22 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  16. ^ Rasmussen, John (10 January 2013). "Abdi Ibrahim skriver under for Godset igjen" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  17. ^ Bajkowski, Simon (11 November 2013). "City loan watch: Ibrahim wins title but results go against loanees". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  18. ^ "ΠΑΕ Ολυμπιακός - Ανακοίνωση | Olympiacos.org / Official Website of Olympiacos Piraeus". Olympiacos.org. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Η επίσημη ιστοσελίδα - ΠΑΕ Εργοτέλης". Ergotelis.gr. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  20. ^ Κατηγορία: Δελτία Τύπου - Ανακοινώσεις. "Υπέγραψε για 2 χρόνια ο Abdisalam Ibrahim". Veriafc.gr. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  21. ^ Abdi om exiten: – Har fått venner for livet i Vålerenga, dagsavisen.no, 9 January 2019
  22. ^ "Her er de bekreftede Deadline Day -overgangene" (in Norwegian). TV2.no. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  23. ^ "ΕΠΙΣΗΜΟ με Ibrahim" (in Greek). Kerkida.net. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  24. ^ "Πάφος-ΑΕΚ 0-2: Εκτέλεση από τα έντεκα βήματα" (in Greek). 24Sports.com.cy. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  25. ^ "Nuovo innesto per il Bisceglie Calcio, ecco Abdisalam Abdulkadir Ibrahim" (in Italian). Bisceglie. 24 March 2021.[dead link]
  26. ^ "Velger Norge foran Somalia" (in Norwegian). Avisenes Nyhetsbåry/Norwegian News Agency. 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  27. ^ Allcock, Alan (20 February 2010). "First North Signings". The Evo-Stick League. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  28. ^ "Scunthorpe United | News | Latest News | Latest News | YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: ABDISALAM IBRAHIM". Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  29. ^ "City TV | Manchester City FC". Mcfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 May 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  30. ^ Sindre Øgar. "Det var hele livet på så kort tid. Miste søsteren og få en sønn - U21-EM 2013 - VG". Vg.no. Retrieved 14 November 2016.