Young Nigerian players Ume Samuel and Tobias Okafor have joined FC Zurich, the leading team in Switzerland.
Ume, a 19-year-old forward, joined the team from Botev Plovdiv in Bulgaria on an undisclosed five-year deal that expires in 2029.
Before joining Botev Plovdiv in 2022, he was a player with FDC Vista Gelendzhik in Russia, where he made 47 appearances in competitive action and scored eleven goals and three assists.
In the 2023–2024 campaign, he helped them win the Bulgarian Cup by scoring the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Ludogorets Razgrad in the final.
He is an essential member of the Flying Eagles team that competed in the 2023 U20 World Cup in Argentina and has received five caps at the U20 level for Nigeria.
Tobias, a 17-year-old wing player, signed from FC Aarau and will be included in the U21 team.
At the age of seven, he joined FC Aarau's junior team and advanced through all the youth levels.
The dual citizen of Switzerland and Nigeria is presently a member of the U18 national team and has played for his country in four previous international tournaments. He is Isaiah and Noah Okafor's cousin.
