At the end of the transfer window, “Dynamo” signed two Africans — Nigerian Sholu Ogunbanu and Senegalese Aliu Tiare.
Africans are very complex guys with a very complex mentality. Despite undeniable talent, some minor detail can spoil everything.
Dmytro Selyuk brought Kargbo and Benito for a plate of soup. Nobody expected anything, nothing came of it. It was rather needed by the players to have the status of former “Dynamo” players and to settle somewhere.
There were huge hopes for Samba Diallo. He really stood out in the youth team of “Dynamo”. Made a difference at the level of “Bayern”, “Barcelona”, “Benfica”. Voloshyn, Yatsyk, Vyvcharenko, Neshcheret, Brazhko — in the first team of “Dynamo”, while Samba is not. Right now he is practically without a club. I think signing a new adult contract did not benefit him. From here, the road goes down. Today he is a player of the level of middle-ranking UPL teams.
Taye Taiwo arrived in Kyiv as a former player of “Milan”, “Marseille”, but in Ukraine his level did not impress. A very mediocre player, no better than Ukrainian players. Africans have this trait that they reach their peak in 3-5 years.
Dieumerci Mbokani was a super-forward, but had character issues. He didn’t always want to, he wasn’t always interested. Considering the money involved for him and his personal conditions, there are certain doubts that he justified them.
I was very impressed by Brown Ideye. He had speed qualities, was successful in physical battles. He had a sense of goal. He started very well, then he wasn’t as bright. But he was sold for more money than he was bought.
Along with him played another Nigerian Lukman Aruna. He is remembered only for a very strong shot and a tendency to gain weight. In Kyiv, he did not become a regular. After “Dynamo” he was frankly lost.
Ismaël Bangoura was a favorite among Kyiv fans. Scored on individual class, decided the fate of the episode. Fast, coordinated, flexible, has a sense of goal. Bangoura’s problem was that at that time the star of Artem Milevskiy rose. If we believe Transfermarkt, then “Dynamo” sold the Guinean for 5 million euros more than they bought him.
Together with Bangoura, Pape Diakate arrived in Kyiv, but the problem with the central defender from Senegal was injuries.
Probably, Ayila Yussuf played the longest for the first team of “Dynamo”. At one time, Yozhef Sabо placed the Nigerian in the first team, and he immediately began to play well. Yussuf was under contract with the capital club for 10 years. The main problem was injury-proneness. Ayila never played a full season.
Badra El-Kaddouri is considered the last transfer of Lobanovskiy. Rumor has it that it was Valeriy Vasylovych who approved his transfer, but unfortunately, he did not live to see joint work in the new season. He spent more than 10 years in the club system. Initially losing out to Andriy Nesmachny, he then began to play consistently. At one time, he played as a defensive midfielder. El-Kaddouri was nicknamed “energizer” by Kyiv fans for his tremendous dedication on the field.
Back in the days of Valeriy Lobanovskiy, Harrison Omoko and Lucky Idahor were signed. Omoko never made it to the first team of “Dynamo”. Idahor even played in the Champions League and scored against “Borussia” (Dortmund). After the death of the Mentor, Lucky was frankly lost.
There were also Frank Temile and Emanuel Okoduwa, but they left no trace in “Dynamo”.
As experience shows, most Africans are willful guys. One must find an approach to them. Only in rare situations can they play in the same team for a long time. 2-3 years at most, until they have a new challenge. They cannot sit still. The peak of an African player can pass quite quickly.
Regarding Ogunbanu and Tiare, I like their good physical qualities. This virtue is very important for African footballers. Thanks to endurance and physical strength, they can make a difference. A lot will depend on how Alexander Shovkovskiy’s team finds an individual approach to them. The coaching factor is key here.
Serhiy TYSHCHENKO