The “pipeline” from the NPFL to the pinnacle of European football is flowing again. I’ve been tracking Sani Suleiman since his days at Akwa United, where he was making defenders look like they were standing in traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge. To see him make the jump from Slovakian side AS Trenčín to RB Leipzig for a fee around €6.5 million is pure joy.
At just 19, Suleman has signed a long-term contract until 2031, taking the prestigious number 18 shirt. This isn’t just a “fill the gap” signing; Leipzig’s Sporting Director, Marcel Schäfer, has specifically praised his “exciting profile” and raw pace. We are talking about a winger who recorded 11 goals in just 15 games back home and has been terrorizing European defenses in Slovakia since 2024.
For those of us in the diaspora, this is the kind of story we live for. Leipzig is famous for turning diamonds in the rough like Christopher Nkunku and Sadio Mané into global superstars. With Sani’s physicality and that “never-say-die” Nigerian spirit, the Bundesliga is about to find out what we already knew. He was a standout for our Flying Eagles at the U-20 World Cup, and this move to Germany is the perfect platform for him to break into the senior Super Eagles squad.
Watch this space—the “Red Bull” now has Nigerian wings!