Birthday boy Ibrahim wants to have his Hong Kong Senior Shield cake and eat it too

Yakubu Nassam Ibrahim’s only birthday wish is that he evens his cup final ledger when BC Rangers meet Tai Po in the Senior Shield on Wednesday. The 2024 Sapling Cup final gave Ibrahim “the best moment of my career”, scoring the only goal against Kitchee to avenge the previous year’s FA Cup final thumping by the same opponents. Ibrahim, who will turn 29 on the day of his latest final, said last season’s FA Cup final loss to Eastern had “really hurt”, especially as it cost the club a spot in the AFC Champions League Two. “But that’s football,” he said. “Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win; you just keep going.” A speedy, strong and skilful forward, Ibrahim has made a virtue of his resilience and single-mindedness. He left home at seven to board for one year at Red Bull Ghana’s football school in Accra, the country’s capital. “Leaving my family, leaving my parents and moving into a new environment with different people and different food was really difficult,” said Ibrahim, who left Ghana at aged 21, in 2019, to sign for Ococias Kyoto in Japan. “It was difficult again, leaving my country and adapting to a new culture, lifestyle and language,” said Ibrahim, who became fluent in Japanese. “But it hadn’t been easy growing up … I wouldn’t say I’m from a rich family, so you need to hustle, to work hard and go through a lot. “We didn’t have a smooth life, so I was determined to make it through in Japan. Whatever obstacles or challenges came around, I was ready for them.” Ibrahim’s father, Nassam Yakubu, coached Ghana’s goalkeepers at the 2014 World Cup, and was formerly No 1 for top flight clubs at home and in the Ivory Coast. “He was a big example for me, and one of the players I really admired,” Ibrahim said, although he was quickly turned off by his dad’s playing position because of the number of times goalkeepers get hit. Playing for Glow Lamp Academy, established by former Anderlecht, Aston Villa and Ghana midfielder Nii Lamptey, Ibrahim impressed in a friendly against an underage national team. He was invited to trials for Ghana Under-23s and made a goalscoring debut in a 5-1 win over Togo in December 2018, in what remains his only international appearance. “I was hoping to have a lot of chances after proving myself, but that’s life sometimes,” Ibrahim said. “You don’t always get what you expect … it was motivation to just keep going.” While with Lamptey’s academy, Ibrahim was offered contracts by American team Chicago Fire, and a top-division club in Lithuania, but his visa applications were refused both times. “Chicago was so disappointing … I heard they had a partnership with Paris Saint-Germain, so if you did well there was a chance to be scouted,” he said. But Ibrahim’s international outing did earn him the move to Japan, where he scored 18 goals and won two fifth-tier titles in four seasons. “My dream was to stay in Japan … I was determined to make it to the top and then think about moving to Europe, but the chances didn’t come,” Ibrahim said. He returned to Ghana following the end of his contract in December 2022, but was “not ready to stay at home for long … moving away then going back really affects me”. “Rangers was the next opportunity and I needed to grab it,” Ibrahim said. “The football in Japan was intense and quick; it wasn’t so fast in Hong Kong, so I was fast to adapt to everything.” In July 2024, Ibrahim transferred to Suzhou Dongwu in China League One. He scored twice in 13 appearances, but did not have his six-month deal renewed “because I did not have a good connection with the coach [Kim Dae-eui]”. “I think he was more interested in Brazilian players, so I had to leave … but the lifestyle was top-notch; amazing,” Ibrahim said. He hopes to return to the mainland to play, but said his “complete focus” this season was on Rangers, who he rejoined in January last year. Attributing Rangers’ cup consistency to “luck and hard work”, Ibrahim acknowledged his side were “really worried about Tai Po’s experienced, strong and fast players” ahead of the final. After scoring his eighth goal of the season in last week’s semi-final victory over Eastern, however, he is targeting a birthday to remember. “I’m actually not the celebrating type, so winning this game would be my celebration,” Ibrahim said.

Birthday boy Ibrahim wants to have his Hong Kong Senior Shield cake and eat it too

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Rangers striker Yakubu Nassam Ibrahim hoping to make up for the ‘real hurt’ of last year’s FA Cup final loss to Eastern

Rangers striker Yakubu Nassam Ibrahim hoping to make up for the ‘real hurt’ of last year’s FA Cup final loss to Eastern