Samson Okikiola Tijani (born 17 May 2002) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eliteserien club Fredrikstad, on loan from Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg. He also represents the Nigeria national team.
_54.jpg) Tijani in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samson Okikiola Tijani[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 May 2002[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Enugu, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Fredrikstad (on loan from Red Bull Salzburg) | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | Collins Edwin Sports Club | ||
| 2019–2020 | → FDC Vista Gelendzhik (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020– | Red Bull Salzburg | 3 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → TSV Hartberg (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → FC Liefering (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | → Wolfsberger AC (loan) | 26 | (1) |
| 2024– | → Fredrikstad (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Nigeria U17 | 9 | (2) |
| 2020– | Nigeria | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 September 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 December 2022 | |||
Club career
editRed Bull Salzburg
editTijani began his career with Collins Edwin Sports Club before signing with Austrian Bundesliga side Red Bull Salzburg on 17 July 2020. [3]
In the 2021–22 winter break, Tijani was promoted to Red Bull Salzburg's main squad.[4] On 6 February 2022, Tijani made his professional debut for the club in the Cup match against LASK. He came in in the 89th minute for Nicolas Capaldo in a 3–1 win.[5][6]
In the match played with Austria Wien on July 22, 2022, fractures occurred in his tibia and lower muscle, and he had to leave the game.[7]
Loan to TSV Hartberg
editA month later, on 14 August, Tijani was loaned out to TSV Hartberg for the season.[8] He made his competitive debut for the club on 30 August against Dornbirner SV in the Austrian Cup. He started and played the full match as Hartberg won 7–0.[9][10][11] On 12 September 2020, Tijani made his professional debut for the club in the league against Rheindorf Altach. He started and played 71 minutes in a 1–1 draw.[12] He had a successful performance in the 18 games he played there, but did not contribute any goals or assists.
Loan to FC Liefering
editOn 1 July 2021 Tijani was loaned out to FC Liefering on a season long loan.
Loan to Wolfsberger AC
editOn 23 August 2023, Tijani joined Wolfsberger AC on a season-long loan deal.[13]
Loan to Fredrikstad
editOn 3 September 2024, he joined Norwegian Eliteserien club Fredrikstad, on loan until the end of the year.[14]
International career
editTijani was part of the Nigeria side to compete in the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, Where they came 4th and qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[3] During his team's opening match against Hungary, Tijani scored a brace as Nigeria U17 won 4–2.[15] Tijani made his debut with the senior Nigeria national team in a friendly 1-0 loss to Algeria on 9 October 2020.[16]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 30 December 2022[17]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| TSV Hartberg (loan) | 2020–21 | Austrian Bundesliga | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| FC Liefering (loan) | 2021–22 | 2. Liga | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2021–22 | Austrian Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2022–23 | Austrian Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
Honours
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil - List of Players" (PDF). fifadata.com. FIFA. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ "Samson Tijani". FC Red Bull Salzburg. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Red Bull Salzburg celebrate signing teen sensation Samson Okikiola Tijani". Red Bull. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ ""THAT'S THE REASON I LOVE IT HERE"" (Press release). FC Red Bull Salzburg. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ "Wir stürmen ins Halbfinale!". Red Bull Salzburg.
- ^ "Samson Tijani hat ein Ticket". Kicker.
- ^ "Salzburg's Samson Tijani out for Months after Severe Fracture". footballlive.
- ^ Oludare, Shina (14 August 2020). "FC Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Tijani loaned to TSV Hartberg". Goal.com. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Dornbirner 0–7 Hartberg". Soccerway.
- ^ "Samson Tijani makes Champions League debut as RB Salzburg suffer Bayern Munich obliteration". Goal.
- ^ "Salzburgs Tijani bei Testspiel schwer verletzt". Sky Sports Austria.
- ^ "Rheindorf Altach 1–1 Hartberg". Soccerway.
- ^ "Neuer Mittelfeldspieler im Wolfsrudel" [New midfielder in the wolf pack]. rzpelletswac.at (in German). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ https://www.redbullsalzburg.at/en/recent/news/samson-tijani-wechselt-zu-fredrikstad
- ^ "Nigeria U17 4–2 Hungary U17". Soccerway.
- ^ "Nigeria vs. Algeria - 9 October 2020 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
- ^ Samson Tijani at Soccerway