Sheriff Suma
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| Sheriff Suma | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sheriff Awilo Suma | |
| Date of birth | October 12, 1986 | |
| Place of birth | Freetown, Sierra Leone | |
| Height | 5'8 | |
| Playing position | Left-winger | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | GAIS | |
| Number | 19 | |
| National team | ||
| 2006- | Sierra Leone | |
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Sheriff Awilo Suma (born October 12, 1986 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a Sierra Leonean international footballer. He is a winger for GAIS in the Swedish league and for Sierra Leone national football team. He was a member of Sierra Leone U-17 team at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland. Suma made his senior international debut for Sierrra Leone against Mali in a 2008 African Nations Cup qualifying match in Freetown.
[edit] Biography
Suma blistering pace and dribbling ability while in possession of the ball with his dangerous left-foot, often leave defenders marking shadows.
Like many African footballers, Awilo, as he is commonly called in Sierra Leone grew up playing street football in his neighborhood, in the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown. As he grew older, his dream was to play for the Leone Stars, Sierra Leone national soccer team; and then moved to one of Europe biggest clubs.
Suma fled his country's civil war and moved to The Gambia in 1997. In 2001, the young Suma was discorvered by Sierra Leonean football agent Chernor Musa Jalloh while playing in a local football league in the Gambia capital Banjul. Jalloh introduced Suma to Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leone most successful footballer. Kallon asked him if he would like to play for Kallon F.C. in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. Suma went returned to Freetownfor the first time in almost 5 years and sign for Kallon F.C. In his first season in the Sierra Leonean Premier League, Suma was the second top goal-scorer behind East End Lions strikerSidique Mansaray.
After playing in the qualifying rounds, Suma was omitted from the final squad for the African U-17 Championship in Swaziland, something he describes as the worst moment of his life.
Sierra Leone eventually did well in the competition in Swaziland where they came in second, behind Cameroon and qualified for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland.
Luckily for suma, he was called back into the squad for the U-17 world championship in Finland. After the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland 12 of the 23 players failed to return to Sierra Leone and some later applied for political asylum. Among those who decided to return home was Suma.
Shortly After the U-17 world championship, talent scout Chernor Musa Jalloh helped Suma moved to Swedish side Atviderberg on a two year contract from Kallon F.C.. Suma was traded to GAIS in December 2006.
