Who is Sadiq Umar?
Sadiq Umar is a professional footballer who plays forward for Real Sociedad of La Liga and the Nigeria national team, Super Eagles. He was born on February 2, 1997, and has been playing football professionally since 2014.
Formerly a member of the NigeriaU-23 squad, Sadiq Umar was instrumental in the team’s run to a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. His contribution helped Nigeria win the medal.
Sadiq Umar, born and raised in Kaduna, Nigeria, picked up the sport of football while playing in the streets of his hometown. His full name is Umar Sadiq Mesbah.
What We Know About Sadiq Umar’s Career
Sadiq Umar began his football career with the local team Kusa Boys, later moving on to play for the Future of Africa Football Academy and ultimately settling in at the Football College Abuja.
Sadiq Umar went to Croatia in June 2013 with the FCA to participate in a youth competition held at the Kvarnerska Rivijera. He led all competitors in scoring at the competition’s finale and was a key contributor to his team’s victory.
After making a positive impression with his play in Croatia, the Italian team Spezia decided to sign Sadiq Umar. Not only did he not participate in games with the primary team, but the youth team gave him a chance to show what he could do. During the 2014-2015 season, Sadiq Umar concluded the year with an astonishing 26 goals scored in 24 games, which propelled him to the position of leading scorer in the Campionato Primavera.
Sadiq Umar made his professional debut in the final game of the 2013–14 season while on loan from Spezia to Lavagnese of Serie D. Sadiq joined Roma on loan for the 2015–16 season in July 2015.
On June 21, 2016, Roma announced that they had made use of the option they had been given and had signed Sadiq Umar to a long-term contract that runs through the month of June 2020. In 2017, he travelled to the United States with the first squad to compete in the International Champions Cup. In his lone game in the tournament, he scored a goal, but Paris Saint-Germain ultimately defeated Roma on penalties.
On October 5, 2020, Sadiq Umar put his signature on a contract with UD Almeria of the Spanish Segunda División. The deal was for five years. On September 1, 2022, Sadiq Umar signed a contract with Real Sociedad that would keep him with the club through the 2027-28 season.
Sadiq was included in Nigeria’s final Olympic roster of 18 players in July 2016. He started all six games for his squad and scored four goals, including two in their playoff-clinching win over Honduras. On March 27 and 30, 2021, he played for the Nigerian national team in qualification matches for the 2022 African Cup of Nations against Benin and Lesotho.
10 Facts About Sadiq Umar
- Sadiq Umar was born on February 2, 1997, in the city of Kaduna, which is located in the Northwest region of Nigeria.
- He is a forward for Real Sociedad, which competes in the Spanish Primera Division, and the Super Eagles of Nigeria, which is the national team of Nigeria.
- In 2014, Sadiq Umar made his debut with Spezia in the Italian professional football league.
- Sadiq Umar made the permanent switch to AS Roma on June 21, 2016, coming over from Spezia.
- Sadiq Umar signed a five-year contract to play for UD Almera on October 5, 2020. UD Almera competes in the Spanish Segunda División.
- Sadiq Umar signed with Real Sociedad, a team competing in the Spanish Primera Division, on September 1, 2022.
- At the Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, Sadiq Umar played for Nigeria and helped the country earn the bronze medal.
- In March of 2021, Sadiq Umar played for the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, in qualifying matches for the 2022 African Cup of Nations against Benin and Lesotho.
- During the 2021–22 season, Sadiq Umar led UD Almera to victory in the Spanish Segunda División, which is the second tier of Spanish football.
- In his first game for Real Sociedad, which was a match in the Spanish Primera division that took place on September 3, 2022, against Atletico Madrid, he scored a goal that helped his club earn a point.
