Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
How does a Nigerian-born football player fluent in Japanese end up in the A-League Men?
If not for his mum, Oriola Sunday wouldn’t be following in the footsteps of Dwight Yorke and Alessandro Del Piero as Sydney FC’s latest international striker.
Then aged 15, Sunday had wanted to give up on his dream of playing in Europe after being knocked back by scouts year in, year out.
The teenager was living in Nigeria’s capital city Abuja and had been part of academy and talent scouting organisation Sporting Dreams Football Club since he was 13.
“I was really sad, and I decided that that was going to be the last time I was going to play,” 23-year-old Sunday told AAP.
“But I went to the program because my mum was just pushing me, ‘go this last time’, and I went.”
Suffice to say his mum’s intuition was right.
Sunday earned a youth contract in Japan and moved to Kyoto to finish his high school studies.
There, Sunday – after envisioning a life as a mechanic – began steadily piecing together his football career.
He signed his first professional contract with J2 League team Tokushima Vortis in 2022, before moving to RB Omiya Ardija in 2025 after various loan stints.
The idea of playing in Australia only entered the equation in June when new coach Narcis Pelach arrived at Omiya Ardija, and Sunday wasn’t getting game time.
Looking for a season-long loan move, Sydney FC – whose recruitment is led by prolific sporting director and former club player Alexander Baumjohann – popped up.
The Sky Blues have traditionally turned to international talent to lead their attack, last year spearheaded by Polish striker Patryk Klimala.
“I’m not going to take the fact that I’m not going to play, of course,” Sunday said.
“When Sydney FC came, and I was like, ‘ah, this is a good team’.
“I saw the great players that played here before, and I would like to leave my name here too if possible.
“I’m the first Nigerian striker to be in Sydney FC … I need to work to make myself and my country proud of me playing here.”
J1 League veteran winger Takahiro Sekine has also moved to Sydney FC this season, with the duo joined by Australian-born youngster Wataru Komijo among the club’s Japanese speakers.
Sunday will be out to launch ALM career in the season-opening Sydney derby after making his club debut last month in the Australia Cup.
Storylines around Friday’s fixture between last year’s grand finalists and wooden spooners are aplenty, with former Sky Blues coach Ufuk Talay’s move to Western Sydney only adding to the theatre.
Talay’s replacement Patrick Kisnorbo remains at the helm of Sydney FC, earning a three-year deal after taking the club to last year’s eventual grand final loss to Auckland.
