Sani Kaita

Sani Kaita
Personal information
Full nameSani Haruna Kaita
Date of birth2 May 1986
Place of birthKano, Nigeria
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionDefensive Midfielder
Club information
Current team
FC Saxan
Number36
Youth career
–2003Kano Pillars
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2004–2005Kano Pillars
2005–2008Sparta Rotterdam22(0)
2008–2011Monaco3(0)
2009→ Kuban Krasnodar (loan)17(0)
2009→ Lokomotiv Moscow (loan)3(0)
2010→ Alania Vladikavkaz (loan)6(0)
2010→ Metalist Kharkiv (loan)6(0)
2011→ Iraklis (loan)6(0)
2011–2012Tavriya Simferopol7(0)
2012–Olympiakos Nicosia2(0)
July 2014–Enyimba1(0)
–FC Saxan12
National team‡
2005–2010Nigeria24(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 April 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 05:12, 23 June 2010 (UTC)

Sani Haruna Kaita (born 2 May 1986, in Kano, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer he currently plays for FC Saxan but played for a number of Nigeria Premier League teams, latest of which was Enyimba F.C..

Club career

A hardworking combative midfielder, he joined Sparta in the 2005/2006 season from Kano Pillars FC. Kaita moved to AS Monaco FC in September 2008.[1] He left on 13 January 2009 and joined FC Kuban Krasnodar on loan through 31 December 2009.[2] On 25 August 2009, Lokomotiv Moscow signed the Nigerian midfielder on loan from Monaco until December.[3] On 25 February 2010 Alania Vladikavkaz signed the midfielder on loan.[4] On 31 May 2010 FC Metalist Kharkiv signed Kaita on loan. On the last day of the 2011 winter transfer window, Kaita moved to Greek Superleague side Iraklis on a six-month loan deal.[5]

In April 2014, Kaita was back in Nigeria training with Enyimba F.C.[6] He made his debut against Sharks F.C. on May 7 and spent a three month loan with the Aba side. The loan was part of the League Management Company's elite initiative for foreign based professionals.

International career

A midfielder, Kaita caught the eye of Sparta when playing all 7 matches for Nigeria U-20 at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.[7] He is also a member of the senior Nigeria national football team making his debut in a 3–0 friendly loss against Romania in November 2005.

He was sent off in a match against Greece on 17 June 2010, in their second 2010 FIFA World Cup match for kicking Vasilis Torosidis after Torosidis motioned as if to throw the ball at Kaita.[8] This makes him the first Nigerian player to be sent off in a World Cup match. Greece went on to score their first World Cup goals, and win their first ever match in the World Cup.[9] Sani Kaita was inundated with death threats from within Nigeria.

Honours

Nigeria Nigeria

African footballer of the year: 2008, 2009, 2010 Nigeria Nigeria under-20

External links

References

  1. ↑ Sani Kaita vertrekt naar Monaco Sparta Rotterdam
  2. ↑ http://russia.theoffside.com/team-news/sani-kaita-loaned-to-fc-kuban-from-monaco.html
  3. ↑ Sani Kaita Joins Osaze At Lokomotiv
  4. ↑ Alaniya Add Khomich, Kaita, and Two Strong Bulgarians « Russian Football Now
  5. ↑ "IRAKLIS F.C. signed Sani Kaita". Iraklis FC Official site. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  6. ↑ Sani Kaita Back In Nigeria With Enyimba International 9jafootball.com
  7. ↑ Record at FIFA Tournaments -FIFA
  8. ↑ "Nigerian Has Received 1,000 Threats From Soccer Fans; Officials Unclear on Severity". The Sporting Blog. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
  9. ↑ Norrish, Mike (17 June 2010). "Greece v Nigeria: live". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2010-06-17.