Radanfah Abu Bakr
Personal information
Full name Radanfah Abu Bakr
Date of birth (1987-02-12) 12 February 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Central defender
Youth career
2002–05 Queen's Royal College
2005 Caledonia AIA
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2009 Caledonia AIA 22 (0)
2009 Swansea City 0 (0)
2010–2011 Joe Public 3 (0)
2011 Olympic Charleroi 4 (0)
2012–2013 Caledonia AIA
2013 Vostok 27 (1)
2014–2015 Kruoja Pakruojis 23 (2)
2015–2016 HB Køge 19 (1)
2016 Sillamäe Kalev 15 (1)
2017 Sūduva Marijampolė 22 (2)
2018 PS TIRA 16 (1)
2019–2020 Churchill Brothers 11 (1)
International career‡
2009– Trinidad and Tobago 36 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 December 2018
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 January 2017

Radanfah Abu Bakr (born 12 February 1987 in Port of Spain) is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a defender.

Career

Club

Abu Bakr went to Queen's Royal College in Trinidad[1] and began his career in Trinidad and Tobago side Caledonia AIA, before signing for Swansea City on 30 August 2009, in a short-term loan deal until 1 January 2010. He has been signed to help relieve the injury crisis at the club.[2] He previously had two trial spells at the club, in 2007 and in 2008, but was unable to sign for the Swans after they were denied a work permit.[3] Bakr started his career at a relatively late age which he has put down to him deciding to put his head down and study, he took a degree in business management in Kingston University in London.[4]

In August 2009, a work permit was arranged for the UK, and Radanfah signed a three-month contract with Swansea on 1 September 2009.[5][6] After this deal expired he was not offered terms to extend his stay and so returned to Trinidad to sign for Joe Public. On 21 July 2011, he was signed by Belgium club Olympic Charleroi after a successful trial.[7] He left Olympic Charleroi and returned to Caledonia AIA during the 2012 season. Abu Bakr helped Caledonia AIA win the 2012 CFU Club Championship on 21 June 2012. He scored his side's goal in a 1–1 draw after extra time against W Connection, with Caledonia AIA winning 4–2 on penalty kicks.[8]

In February 2013 Abu Bakr moved to Kazakhstan Premier League side Vostok.[9] He played 28 league games for Vostok before moving to Lithuanian A Lyga side Kruoja a year later.[10]

On 2 February 2015, he signed a contract with Danish club HB Køge.[11]

In July 2016, Abu Bakr signed with Estonian top division club JK Sillamäe Kalev.[12]

On 25 February 2017, he joined Lithuanian A Lyga side Sūduva Marijampolė.[13]

On September 6, 2019 Abu Bakr penned deal with I-League side and is currently playing for Churchill Brothers.[14]

International career

Abu Bakr made his debut for the Trinidad and Tobago national team on 30 July 2008, coming on as a substitute in a friendly against Haiti. Another substitute appearance followed two weeks later in a friendly against El Salvador.[15]

He would have to wait until June 2009 for his next international; making his first start and competitive appearance in a World Cup qualifier against Mexico, losing 2–1. Abu Bakr scored his first international goal a month later in a 3–2 friendly win against Saint Kitts and Nevis.[15] He went on to play in a further four of Trinidad and Tobago's qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, but lost his place in the side after that.[15]

Abu Bakr returned to the international side in June 2013 as part of Trinidad and Tobago's build up to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, playing in friendlies away against Romania and Estonia.[15] He was selected for his nation's squad for the tournament, and helped them reach the quarter-finals where they lost narrowly to Mexico.[16]

Career statistics

Club

Club statistics
Season Club League National Cup League Cup Other Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
2009–10[17] Swansea City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010–11[18] Joe Public F.C. 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 7 2
2011–12[18] Olympic Charleroi 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
2011–12[18] Caledonia AIA ? 1 0 0 0 0 4 2 4+ 3
2012–13[18] Caledonia AIA ? 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 3+ 1
2013[19] Vostok 28 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 29 1
2014[19] Kruoja 23 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 24 2
2014–15[19] HB Køge 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1
Total 65+ 6 2 0 0 0 12 4 79+ 10

International

Trinidad and Tobago football team
Year Apps Goals
2008 2 0
2009 6 1
2013 9 0
2014 1 0
2015 8 1
2016 7 0
2017 2 0
Total 35 2

Statistics accurate as of match played 8 January 2017[15][20]

International goals

Updated to games played 8 June 2014
# Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 12 July 2009 Warner Park, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis 4  Saint Kitts and Nevis 1–0 3–2 Friendly [21]
2 8 October 2015 Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama 23  Panama 2–0 2–1 Friendly

Personal life

His brother Ayinde is former manager of Caledonia AIA and over the years trained his brother there.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Player Profile – Radanfah Abu Bakr: Soccer Warrirors". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  2. ^ "Swansea capture Trinidad defender". BBC Sport. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  3. ^ "Radanfah Abu Bakr gets Swansea trial". Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  4. ^ "Swans snap-up Radanfah". Swanseacity.net. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Swansea capture Trinidad defender". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Abu Bakr secures Swansea contract". www.socawarriors.net. socawarriors. 30 August 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  7. ^ "ABU BAKR PENS 2-YR DEAL". ttffonline.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  8. ^ "Caledonia pips Connection for CFU Club Championship title". TTProleague.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Caledonia duo leads European exodus with Kazakhstan move". Wired868. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  10. ^ Mohammed, Inshan (19 March 2014). "Abu Bakr joins FK Kruoja Pakruojis". SocaWarriors. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  11. ^ Helmin, Jesper (2 February 2015). "HB Køge henter eksotisk stopper". bold.dk. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Sillamäega on liitumas mängijad Itaaliast ning Trinidad ja Tobagost". soccernet.ee. Archived from the original on 24 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  13. ^ ""Sūduvos" gynybos grandyje – du naujokai" (in Lithuanian). FK Sūduva. 25 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  14. ^ Noronha, Anselm (6 September 2019). "I-League: Churchill Brothers sign Radanfah Abu Bakr, Joaquin Garcia". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Matches Played by Radanfah Abu Bakr". SocaWarriors. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Match Report". SocaWarriors. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  17. ^ "Bakr: Swansea experience helped me". Guardian Media. 29 April 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  18. ^ a b c d "Radanfah Abu Bakr – Results, fixtures, tables and statistics". Live.sportlive.co.za. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  19. ^ a b c "Trinidad and Tobago – R. Abu Bakr – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". Uk.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  20. ^ "Radanfah Abu Bakr". National-Football-Teams.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  21. ^ "Baptiste's goal gives T&T 3–2 win over St Kitts". www.socawarriors.net. socawarriors. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  22. ^ "Radanfah Abu Bakr is back". Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2009.

External links

Trinidad and Tobago squads
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