Sumaila Awudu, a Ghanaian young sensation at French side Clermont Foot- where he joined last summer and has been very outstanding with their reserve team since and will this time strongly heads into the 2024/25 football season with nothing but a 'first team' ambition.
Looks very possible for the versatile defender who enjoyed his juvenile career at the renowned JMG Football Academy in Africa, precisely Mali- who have nurtured and produced some great talents to the football world in the last decade and more.
Sumaila, began in JMG's camp in Ghana, specifically Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region, and his consistent stupendous display earned him a steady promotion into one of their main camps in Bamako, Mali, where he spent so many years training and passing through the ranks.
Having gotten riped, and with his ambition of reaching the highest echelon in football, Sumaila Awudu successfully graduated from JMG in May 2023 to join then French topflight side Clermont Foot on a four-year deal- one that will keep him at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied until 2027.
Rightly defined as mainly a left-back, he is able to combine both functions by running on the extreme left- which is his favourite position, to craft and swing in crosses to create goals, move diagonally and also comes in field more often to go for goal himself in some occasions.
He is very aggressive in defence and has a very good passing ability with a great vision as he could spot and find his teammates wherever on the pitch with his excellent mirror-passes and can excel very well in central defence as well- just like former Bayern Munich and current Real Madrid defender David Alaba- whom he idolizes so much.
At Clermont Foot, the enterprising full-back established himself as a mainstay in their junior teams right on his arrival and didn't struggle much with adaptation but battled some few injuries which retard his progression a little bit.
Looking fully fit and poised for action this time, the workaholic wingback has his sights set on nothing but making his way into the first team heading into the upcoming 2024/25 campaign and has already made some occasional features with the senior side having played a part in their pre-season game against St Étienne recently and is looking to build on the same momentum.
He played an instrumental role over the weekend in Clermont Foot B's 1-1 stalemate against FC Chamalieres and will be hoping for another starting berth in their subsequent matches.
The Young Lancers will kickstart their 2024/25 season against FC Limonest Dardilly St-Didier in Group I of the French National 3 Championship on August 25.
By: Iddriss Abdul Rahim
