Kehinde Fatai
Fatai with Ufa in 2016
Personal information
Full name Kehinde Abdul Feyi Fatai
Date of birth (1990-02-19) 19 February 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Jos, Nigeria[1]
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 AEL
Number 90
Youth career
0000–2007 JUTH
2007–2008 Farul Constanța
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Farul II Constanța 20 (11)
2008–2010 Farul Constanța 46 (7)
2010–2015 Astra Giurgiu 114 (41)
2013–2014 → Club Brugge (loan) 8 (1)
2015–2016 Sparta Prague 24 (8)
2016–2018 Ufa 41 (6)
2018–2019 Dinamo Minsk 32 (8)
2020–2021 Astra Giurgiu 14 (2)
2021–2022 Argeș Pitești 21 (2)
2022 Turan 5 (0)
2023–2024 Oțelul Galați 30 (4)
2024– AEL 6 (4)
International career
2009 Nigeria U20 3 (1)
2011–2012 Nigeria U23 7 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:30, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Kehinde Abdul Feyi Fatai (born 19 February 1990)[3] is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Greek Super League 2 club AEL.

Club career

Early career & Romanian Liga I

Fatai was in Nigeria with the Anwar-ul-Islam College[4] and played for JUTH F.C.[5] He left for Europe in July 2007,[6] joining FC Farul Constanța of Romania. Initially, he played in the third league of Romania for the reserve team and scored 11 goals in 20 games.[7] In the following 2008–09 season Fatai was promoted to Farul Constanța's senior team.[8] On 16 June 2010, he signed with Liga I club Astra Giurgiu on a free transfer, after his contract with Farul Constanța had ended.[9]

Club Brugge

On 1 September 2013, Belgian club Club Brugge confirmed Fatai’s signing on a season long loan from Astra, with an option to buy.[10] On 22 September 2013, he came on for his debut as an 80th-minute substitute and needed only seven minutes to break the deadlock with a shot in Club Brugge's 4-0 win over fierce rivals Anderlecht.[11]

AC Sparta Prague

In May 2015, Fatai signed for Czech club AC Sparta Prague on a three-year contract.[12]

As a striker, he scored only one goal in eight league matches for Sparta Prague. This bad form in front of goal led to his playing as a wide midfielder instead. After this position change, he went on to score five goals in three matches.[13]

FC Ufa

On 12 August 2016, he signed a 3-year contract with the Russian Premier League side FC Ufa.[14] He was released from his Ufa contract by mutual consent on 14 August 2018.[15]

Return to Romania

On 23 February 2023, Fatai returned to Romania and signed a contract with Oțelul Galați in Liga II until the end of the 2022–23 season, with an option to extend for one more year.[16]

International career

Fatai was called up to the Nigeria U-23 team in 2011 for a friendly against Costa Rica. On 4 June he was selected for a qualifying match for the 2012 Summer Olympics against Tanzania.[17]

On 24 October 2015, Fatai said he had promised the Romania national team officials that he would represent Romania on the senior level upon gaining citizenship.[18]

Personal life

Kehinde Fatai's twin brother, Taiye is also a footballer who spent most of his career in the lower leagues of Romania playing for teams like FCM Alexandria or ACS Berceni.[19][20][21] Another one of his brothers, Yunus is a footballer who played in the lower leagues of Romania at Astra II and Dacia Unirea Brăila.[22] He has a total of four brothers and a sister.[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of 30 January 2024[24][7][25]
Club Season League Domestic Cups Continental Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Farul II Constanța 2007–08 20 11 0 0 - - 20 11
Farul Constanța 2007–08 5 0 0 0 - - 5 0
2008–09 23 0 1 0 - - 24 0
2009–10 18 7 0 0 - - 18 7
Total 46 7 1 0 - - 47 7
Astra Giurgiu 2010–11 27 7 1 0 - - 28 7
2011–12 30 10 2 1 - - 32 11
2012–13 33 14 4 2 - - 37 16
2013–14 3 3 - 6 1 - 9 4
2014–15 21 7 0 0 6 4 5[a] 3 32 14
2019–20 10 2 - - - 10 2
2020–21 4 0 0 0 - - 4 0
Total 128 43 7 3 12 5 5 3 152 54
Club Brugge (loan) 2013–14 8 1 2 0 - - 10 1
Sparta Prague 2015–16 24 8 6 1 16 5 - 46 14
2016–17 0 0 - 1 0 - 1 0
Total 24 8 6 1 17 5 0 0 47 14
Ufa 2016–17 22 6 2 0 - - 24 6
2017–18 17 0 0 0 - - 17 0
2018–19 2 0 - 3 0 - 5 0
Total 41 6 2 0 3 0 - 46 6
Dinamo Minsk 2018 9 5 3 0 - - 12 5
2019 23 3 1 1 2 0 - 26 4
Total 32 8 4 1 2 0 - 38 9
Argeș Pitești 2021–22 21 2 2 0 - - 23 2
Turan 2022 5 0 - - - 5 0
Oțelul Galați 2022–23 12 3 - - - 12 3
2023–24 18 1 3 0 - - 21 1
Total 30 4 3 0 - - 33 4
Career Total 355 90 27 5 34 10 5 3 421 108
  1. ^ One appearance in Supercupa României, four appearances in Cupa Ligii and three goals

Honours

Astra Giurgiu

References

  1. ^ Kehinde Fatai signs 3-year deal with Russian club Ufa, africanfootball.com
  2. ^ AS, Diario (17 June 2021). "Fatai (Kehinde Fatai)". AS.com. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  3. ^ Player Card :: Kehinde Fatai - IMScouting
  4. ^ Welcome to Anwar-ul-islam College Old Students Association Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Ik wil via sterke prestaties lang bij Club blijven"
  6. ^ LA 52 DE ANI, ION MARIN A DEVENIT "TĂTICUL" A 4 NIGERIENI - Copiii lui Moş Marin
  7. ^ a b Kehinde Fatai at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  8. ^ Faristul Kehinde Fatai a prins lotul Nigeriei pentru Mondialele Under-20
  9. ^ Dennis Şerban ia jucători de la Farul
  10. ^ "Kehinde Fatai voor 1 seizoen naar Club" (in Dutch). clubbrugge.be. 1 September 2013.
  11. ^ "Anderlecht se prend une claque à Bruges (4-0)" (in French). La Dernière Heure. 22 September 2013.
  12. ^ "KEHINDE FATAI JOINS CZECH CLUB SPARTA PRAGUE". African Football. 20 June 2015.
  13. ^ "I'm used to huge stadiums full of people, says marksman Fatai" (in Czech). iDNES. 22 October 2015.
  14. ^ Кехинде Фатаи перешел в «Уфу» (in Russian). FC Ufa. 12 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  15. ^ "Кехинде Фатаи покидает ФК "Уфа" (Kehinde Fatai leaves FC Ufa)" (in Russian). FC Ufa. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Bun venit la Oțelul, Kehinde Fatai!" [Welcome to Oțelul, Kehinde Fatai!] (in Romanian). Oțelul Galați. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Fatai mai face un pas (Romanian)". fcastraploiesti.ro. 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011.
  18. ^ "Sparta player Fatai will represent Romania, he said to the club magazine". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 24 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Fratele lui Kehinde Fatai este in probe la FCM Alexandria" [Kehinde Fatai's brother is on trial at FCM Alexandria] (in Romanian). teresport.ro. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Fratele lui Kehinde Fatai a ajuns la Tunari! Echipa lui Bratu s-a impus în amicalul cu Sportul Studențesc" [Kehinde Fatai's brother arrived at Tunari! Bratu's team won with Sportul Studenţesc] (in Romanian). ilfovsport.ro. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  21. ^ "Fratele geamăn al lui Fatai dă probe în Zăvoi" [Fatai's twin brother is on trial in Zăvoi] (in Romanian). replicaonline.ro. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  22. ^ "Patru stranieri au semnat deja cu Dacia Unirea" [Four foreigners have already signed the Dacia Unirea] (in Romanian). Obiectivbr.ro. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  23. ^ "Fatai "trădează" Nigeria, deşi are o situaţie senzaţională acasă!" [Fatai "betrays" Nigeria, although she has a sensational situation at home!] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  24. ^ a b Kehinde Fatai at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata
  25. ^ "Fatai's 2008–09 Romanian Cup appearance". Romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 23 June 2019.

External links

Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. – current squad
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