Sikiru Olatunbosun

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sikiru Olatunbosun

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| full_name = Sikiru Okanlawon Olatunbosun

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|01|03|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria

| height = {{height|m=1.70}}

| currentclub = Voska Sport

| clubnumber = 90

| position = Winger

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2013–2018 | clubs1 = MFM F.C. | caps1 = 82 | goals1 = 20

| years2 = 2018–2019 | clubs2 = Plateau United | caps2 = 11 | goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2019–2020 | clubs3 = Menemenspor | caps3 = 31 | goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2021 | clubs4 = Ankaraspor | caps4 = 16 | goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2021–2022 | clubs5 = Smouha | caps5 = 4 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2022 | clubs6 = Rivers United | caps6 = 12 | goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2022–2023 | clubs7 = Tuzlaspor | caps7 = 6 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2023– | clubs8 = Voska Sport | caps8 = 9 | goals8 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2017–

| nationalteam1 = Nigeria

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update = 16 October 2023

| ntupdate = 30 June 2020

}}

Sikiru Olatunbosun (born 3 January 1996) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a winger for Voska Sport in the Macedonian First Football League.{{Soccerway|sikiru-olatunbosun/485235}}

Career

=2016 season=

On 15 June 2016, Olatunbosun scored a brace against Nasarawa United at the Agege Stadium which earned him praise.{{cite web |title=WATCH: Olatunbosun Sikiru notches sweet brace for MFM against Nasarawa |url=http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/21922/npfl-videos/2016/06/15/24666862/watch-olatunbosun-sikiru-notches-sweet-brace-for-mfm-against |website=Goal.com (Nigeria) |date=15 June 2016 |accessdate=3 March 2017}} In August 2016 Olatunbosun scored another brace as MFM beat Akwa United 3–0.{{cite web |title=MFM's Olatunbosun targets NPFL top scorer award |url=http://tomiwababalola.com/sikiru-olatunbosun-scored-twice-as-mfm-beat-akwa-3-0/ |author=Tomiwa Babalola |date=18 August 2016 |accessdate=3 March 2017}} Olatunbosun latter claimed that he knew he was going to score a brace against Akwa United because the match was on his birthday and he felt he had been empowered by God.{{cite web |title=I Told My Colleagues I Will Score Two Goals Against Akwa United-Sikiru Olatunbosun |url=http://tomiwababalola.com/i-told-my-colleagues-i-will-score-two-goals-against-akwa-united-sikiru-olatunbosun/ |author=Tomiwa Babalola |date=18 August 2016 |accessdate=3 March 2017}} Olatunbosun finished the season with 7 goals.{{cite web |title=MFM's Olatunbosun targets NPFL top scorer award |url=http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4111/npfl/2017/01/17/31627202/mfms-olatunbosun-targets-npfl-top-scorer-award |website=Goal.com (Nigeria) |date=17 January 2017 |accessdate=3 March 2017}}

=2017 season=

In the first match of the 2017 season Olatunbosun scored his team's first goal of the season against Niger Tornadoes at the Agege stadium in an eventual 3–0 win. Afterwards Olatunbosun stated that he would be targeting the season's top scorer award.

Goal against Enugu Rangers

On 24 February 2017 in a match against defending champions Enugu Rangers Olatunbosun took down a back-heel flick from teammate Stephen Odey and then improvised with a flick of his own over with his right foot over Rangers defender Emmanuel Etim and although off balance managed to hit an unstoppable left-footed volley into the top corner.{{cite web |title=Sikiru Olatunbosun almost breaks the internet with stunning goal for MFM FC |url=http://www.espnfc.us/blog/football-nigeria/206/post/3070353/sikiru-olatunbosun-almost-breaks-the-internet-with-stunning-goal-for-mfm-fc |publisher=ESPN FC |date=28 February 2017 |accessdate=3 March 2017 |first=Colin |last=Udoh}} The match ended with MFM prevailing 2–1 but Olatunbosun's goal gained widespread attention over the internet and was nominated for the CNN goal of the week award. Only one Nigerian (Kelechi Iheanacho) had ever won the award before for a goal in an international match against Tanzania and no Nigerian Premier League player had ever even been nominated for the award.{{cite web |title=See Video Of Olatubosun's Spectacular Goal For MFM FC In Line For CNN Goal Of The Week |url=http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/02/26/olatubosuns-spectacular-goal-for-mfm-against-rangers-in-line-for-cnn-goal-of-the-week/ |publisher=Own Goal Nigeria |website=owngoalnigeria.com |date=25 February 2017 |accessdate=3 March 2017}} On 4 March, it was announced that Olatunbosun's goal had indeed won the CNN award gathering more than 80 percent of the vote.{{Cite web |title=Olatunbosun's volley against Rangers voted CNN Goal of the Week |first=Ifreke |last=Inyang |url=http://dailypost.ng/2017/03/04/olatunbosuns-volley-rangers-voted-cnn-goal-week/ |publisher=Daily Post |date=4 March 2017 |accessdate=7 March 2017}} Afterwards, Olatunbosun's strike was also widely totted as worthy of the Puskas Award{{cite web |first=Thomas |last=Bristow |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/ridiculous-team-goal-finish-nigerian-9934425 |title=Ridiculous team goal and finish from Nigerian Premier League could be early contender for 2017 Puskas Award |date=28 February 2017 |accessdate=3 March 2017 |publisher=Daily Mirror}} and mentions of it were published in Spanish, Brazilian, French, Italian, and British newspapers.{{cite web |first=Lolade |last=Adewuyi |url=http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4055/main/2017/03/02/33225222/sikiru-olatunbosun-and-the-npfl-shot-heard-round-the-world |title=Sikiru Olatunbosun and the NPFL shot heard round the world: The MFM FC striker has become an internet sensation, just what the domestic league needs to promote itself as a veritable entertainment for Nigerians |date=2 March 2017 |accessdate=3 March 2017 |publisher=Goal.com (Nigeria)}} Olatunbosun said afterwards that the goal was because of the grace of God, adding that he hoped that MFM F.C. would qualify for Africa's continental championship at the end of the season.{{cite web |title=MFM's target is to play in Africa, says Olatunbosun |url=https://guardian.ng/sport/mfms-target-is-to-play-in-africa-says-olatunbosun/ |date=28 February 2017 |accessdate=3 March 2017 |work=The Guardian |last=Ifetoye |first=Samuel}}

=Plateau United=

In December 2018, Olatunbosun joined Plateau United.{{cite web |title=Olatunbosun Seeks Fresh Start With Plateau United |url=https://www.completesports.com/plateau-united-sikiru-olatunbosun/ |date=13 December 2018 |accessdate=21 August 2019 |publisher=Complete Sports}}

=Menemenspor=

On 21 August 2019, Olatunbosun joined Turkish club Menemenspor on a two-year contract.{{cite tweet|number=1164205325353979905|user=MenemenspoResmi|title=Transfer | Takımımız geçtiğimiz sezon Plateau United takımında oynayan forvet ve kanat oyuncusu Sikiru Olatunbosun… |date=21 August 2019}}

International career

Olatunbosun was called up as part of a Nigeria XI for the 2014 Expo Unity World Cup, where he scored two goals in the final, a 7-0 thrashing of a Colombia XI.{{cite web |url=http://www.kolkatafootball.com/unity_world_cup_goa_2014/index.html#horizontalTab3 |title=Fixtures & Results |accessdate=14 March 2017 |work=Kolkata Football}}

He first represented the full Nigeria national football team in June 2017, coming on as a sub in a friendly against Togo.{{Cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/nigeria-vs-togo/371810|title = International Match (Sky Sports)}}

Personal life

Olatunbosun was born in Lagos.{{cite web |title=Sikiru Olatunbosun: 6 years ago MFM FC star was playing baseball, now Puskas is in sight |url=http://allnewsnigeria.com/sikiru-olatunbosun-6-years-ago-mfm-fc-star-was-playing-baseball-now-puskas-is-in-sight/ |publisher=All News Nigeria |work=Pulse Sports/Football |date=6 May 2017 |accessdate=30 July 2017}} In his youth Olatunbosun was also a talented baseball player and was part of the local team at Finbas College. He played in baseball tournaments in Burkina Faso and other African countries as well as the national tournament in Abuja before permanently switching to football.{{cite web |title=6 years ago MFM FC star was playing baseball, now Puskas is in sight: Sikiru played Baseball as a kid before taking up football which has taken his name all over the world courtesy of a fantastic goal he scored. |url=http://www.pulse.ng/sports/football/how-sikiru-olatunbosun-left-baseball-to-become-npfl-star-id6324037.html |author=Steve Dede |website=pulse.ng |date=7 May 2017 |accessdate=30 July 2017}}