Abiola Bamijoko

Abiola "'Abi" Bamijoko' is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Estonian Meistriliiga club Tallinna Kalev. Born in Finland, he represents North Macedonia internationally.

Career

Bamijoko was born in Helsinki, Finland, to a Nigerian father and a mother of Macedonian and Turkish descent from Resen. He speaks Finnish, Macedonian, Serbian, English, and Italian. Bamijoko began his football career at a young age in Finland, joining a youth team HJK at the age of 6. He was called up to the North Macedonia Youth Team after turning 16. Bamijoko's started in a U-17 game in May 2022 against Austria, which helped cement his place in Macedonian youth team. His career then took him to Italy, where he joined Italian club Sampdoria's U18 squad. This stint in Italy was a transformative period for Bamijoko, where he was able to develop further as a player. In 2023, he joined to the Finnish club Helsinki IFK for the 2023 season.

Personal life

Beyond football, Bamijoko embraces his multicultural background, drawing from his Nigerian, Macedonian, Turkish, and Finnish heritage.