Sheriff Suma
{{Short description|Sierra Leonean footballer (born 1986)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Sheriff Suma
| image = SheriffSumawiki1.jpg
| upright =
| caption = Suma with Sierra Leone
| full_name = Sheriff Awilo Suma{{NFT|16509}}{{worldfootball.net|sheriff-suma}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|10|12}}
| birth_place = Freetown, Sierra Leone
| position = Left winger
| currentclub =
| years1 = 2002–2005 | clubs1 = F.C. Kallon | caps1 = | goals1 =
| years2 = 2005–2006 | clubs2 = Åtvidabergs FF | caps2 = 49 | goals2 = 7
| years3 = 2007–2008 | clubs3 = GAIS | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2008 | clubs4 = → Haugesund (loan) | caps4 = 11 | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2009 | clubs5 = Ermis Aradippou | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2010 | clubs6 = Kocaelispor | caps6 = 5 | goals6 = 1
| years7 = 2010–2011 | clubs7 = Jönköpings Södra | caps7 = 22 | goals7 = 3
| years8 = 2011–2012 | clubs8 = Ravan Baku | caps8 = 38 | goals8 = 1
| years9 = 2013 | clubs9 = FC Johansen | caps9 = | goals9 =
| years10 = 2014–2015 | clubs10 = Syrianska Kerburan | caps10 = | goals10 =
| years11 = 2015 | clubs11 = Ravan Baku | caps11 = 17 | goals11 = 1
| years12 = 2018–2019 | clubs12 = Atlanta SC | caps12 = | goals12 =
| nationalyears1 = 2006–2013 | nationalteam1 = Sierra Leone | nationalcaps1 = 36 | nationalgoals1 = 3
}}
Sheriff Awilo Suma (born 12 October 1986) is a Sierra Leonean former professional footballer who played as a left winger. A member of Sierra Leone U17 national team at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, he made his debut for the senior national team in 2006.
Suma is one of the most popular Sierra Leonean footballers and he is known for frequently changing his unusual and colourful hairstyles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.switsalone.com/10138_sheriff-suman-man-of-the-moment/|title=Sheriff Suma: Man of the Moment {{!}} Sierra Leone News|last=Remoe|first=Vickie|website=www.switsalone.com|date=7 December 2011 |language=en-US|access-date=16 May 2018}}
Career
Suma was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Like many African footballers, Suma grew up playing street football in his neighbourhood.
He fled his country's civil war and moved to The Gambia in 1997. Suma was widely considered the best Sierra Leonean youth footballer while in The Gambia. In 2001, the young Suma was discovered by Sierra Leonean football agent Chernor Musa Jalloh while playing in a local football league in Banjul, Gambia. Jalloh introduced Suma to Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leone's most successful footballer. Kallon asked him if he would like to play for F.C. Kallon in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. Suma returned to Sierra Leone for the first time in five years in 2002 and sign for top Sierra Leone National Premier League club F.C. Kallon, which is owned by Mohamed Kallon himself. In his first season in the Sierra Leonean Premier League, Suma was the second top goal-scorer.
After playing in the qualifying rounds, Suma was omitted from the final squad for the 2003 African U-17 Championship in Swaziland, something he describes as the worst moment of his life. In the championship, Sierra Leone placed second, behind Cameroon, thereby qualifying for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland.
Fortunately for Suma, he was called back to the squad for the U-17 world championship in Finland. While the team failed to advance past the group stage of the tournament, the coach commended Suma for his energy and flair with the ball. Following this event, 12 of the 23 players failed to return to Sierra Leone and some later applied for political asylum. Among those who did return home was Suma.
Shortly after the U-17 world championship, talent scout Chernor Musa Jalloh helped Suma move to the Swedish team Åtvidaberg on a two-year contract from F.C. Kallon.
Suma made his debut for the senior national team on 3 September 2006 in a 2008 African Nations Cup qualifying match against Mali in Freetown. In December 2006, Suma was traded to GAIS, one of Sweden's oldest teams.
Suma was loaned to FK Haugesund in the summer of 2008 for the rest of the season.
In December 2012 Suma was released from his contract with Ravan Baku.{{Cite web|url=http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=ru&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.azerifootball.com/ru/13/news/16783.html&usg=ALkJrhjbu6ChJVN6sOvLNI8hice-UDtIJw|title=Google Translate|website=translate.googleusercontent.com|access-date=16 May 2018}}
In June 2014 Suma joined Syrianska Kerburan with fellow Sierra Leone International Samuel Barlay,{{cite web|title=Big-Sam återvänder till klubben|url=http://www.syrianskaif.com/Big-Sam-aatervaender.htm|website=www.syrianskaif.com|publisher=Syrianska Kerburan|accessdate=23 June 2014|language=Swedish|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006100856/http://www.syrianskaif.com/Big-Sam-aatervaender.htm|archivedate=6 October 2014}} signing a new one-year contract with Syrianska Kerburan in December 2014.{{cite web|title=Barlay, Suma sign new deal with Syrianska IF|url=http://www.footballsierraleone.net/barlay-suma-sign-new-deal-with-syrianska-if/|website=www.footballsierraleone.net/|publisher=Football Sierra Leone|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=18 December 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227165611/http://www.footballsierraleone.net/barlay-suma-sign-new-deal-with-syrianska-if/|archivedate=27 December 2014}}
In July 2015, Suma's proposed move to Kvik Halden FK fell through,{{cite web|title=Suma's contract with new club cancelled|url=http://sierraleonefootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:sumas-contract-with-new-club-cancelled&catid=1:latest-news|website=sierraleonefootball.com/|publisher=Sierra Leone Football|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=25 July 2015}} before later in the same month he re-signed for Azerbaijan Premier League side Ravan Baku FK.
Career statistics
{{updated|12 November 2013}}{{Soccerway|6122|accessdate=12 November 2013}}{{cite web|title=EP Football Sheriff Suma|url=http://www.eliteprospects.com/football/player.php?player=855|website=www.eliteprospects.com/|accessdate=12 November 2013}}{{cite web|title=Sheriff Suma|url=https://svenskfotboll.se/superettan/person/?playerid=4255|website=svenskfotboll.se/|accessdate=12 November 2013}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=157168 Profile at goal.com]
- {{NFT}}
- {{Elitefootball|855}}
- {{SvFF player|id=3a16954c-e06b-4abb-9c5a-3be7112b807c}}
- {{SvFF club player|pid=4255|pid_archive=20140720182647}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suma, Sheriff}}
Category:Sierra Leonean Muslims
Category:Sierra Leonean men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Freetown
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Sierra Leone men's international footballers
Category:Norwegian First Division players
Category:Cypriot First Division players
Category:Azerbaijan Premier League players
Category:National Premier Soccer League players
Category:National Independent Soccer Association players
Category:Åtvidabergs FF players
Category:Ermis Aradippou FC players
Category:Kocaelispor footballers
Category:Jönköpings Södra IF players
Category:Syrianska IF Kerburan players
Category:Ravan Baku FK players
Category:Atlanta Silverbacks FC players
Category:Sierra Leonean people of Guinean descent
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate men's footballers
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in the Gambia
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Gambia
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Sweden
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Norway
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Azerbaijan
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Azerbaijan
Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States