Sani Kaita

Sani Kaita
Personal information
Full name Sani Haruna Kaita
Date of birth (1986-05-02) 2 May 1986
Place of birth Kano, Nigeria
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Defensive Midfielder
Youth career
0000–2003 Kano Pillars
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2004–2005 Kano Pillars
2005–2008 Sparta Rotterdam 22 (0)
2008–2011 Monaco 3 (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)
2011–2012 Tavriya Simferopol 7 (0)
2012–2013 Olympiakos Nicosia 2 (0)
2014 Enyimba 1 (1)
2014 Saxan 12 (0)
2015 Ifeanyi Ubah 4 (0)
National team‡
2005–2010 Nigeria 22 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 December 2015.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 December 2015

Sani Haruna Kaita (born 2 May 1986, in Kano, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer who last played for Ifeanyi Ubah.

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. He signed for Ifeanyi Ubah In the Nigeria premier league for the season 2015.

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.
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