Ismael Athuman | |
Fullname: | Ismael Said Athuman González |
Birth Date: | 1 February 1995 |
Birth Place: | San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Spain[1] |
Position: | Centre back |
Youthclubs1: | Maspalomas |
Youthyears2: | –2011 |
Youthclubs2: | Vecindario |
Youthyears3: | 2011–2014 |
Youthclubs3: | Las Palmas |
Years1: | 2014–2015 |
Years2: | 2014–2017 |
Caps2: | 14 |
Goals2: | 0 |
Years3: | 2016 |
Clubs3: | → Cacereño (loan) |
Caps3: | 14 |
Goals3: | 0 |
Years4: | 2017 |
Caps4: | 6 |
Goals4: | 0 |
Years5: | 2017–2018 |
Caps5: | 12 |
Goals5: | 0 |
Years6: | 2018–2019 |
Caps6: | 20 |
Goals6: | 1 |
Years7: | 2020 |
Caps7: | 8 |
Goals7: | 2 |
Years8: | 2020–2021 |
Caps8: | 6 |
Goals8: | 0 |
Years9: | 2021– |
Caps9: | 20 |
Goals9: | 1 |
Years10: | 2021– |
Caps10: | 13 |
Goals10: | 0 |
Nationalyears1: | 2016– |
Nationalcaps1: | 11 |
Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
Club-Update: | 30 April 2023 |
Nationalteam-Update: | 23 June 2019 |
Ismael Said Athuman González (born 1 February 1995) is a professional footballer who plays for the Kenya national team. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a defensive midfielder.
Athuman was born in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, to a Kenyan father and a Spanish mother, and played youth football with CD Maspalomas, UD Vecindario and UD Las Palmas. He had unsuccessful trials at Manchester City in 2013.[2]
After making his senior debut with Las Palmas' C-team in the regional leagues during the 2014–15 campaign, Athuman subsequently started to appear for the reserves in both Segunda División B and Tercera División. On 5 December 2015, he agreed to a loan deal with third division side CP Cacereño until the end of the season.[3]
Athuman subsequently returned to Las Palmas B in July 2016, but rescinded his contract the following 31 January,[4] and subsequently signed for Granada CF's reserves in the third tier.[5] On 13 July 2017, he moved to fellow league team CF Fuenlabrada.[6]
On 22 August 2018, Athuman returned to Las Palmas and their B-side, now also in the third division.[7] He left the club in the following July, but rejoined the side on 2 January 2020.[8]
On 5 October 2020, after playing for the main squad during the entire pre-season, Athuman was promoted to Las Palmas' first team in Segunda División.[9] He made his professional debut on 5 December, starting in a 0–0 away draw against SD Ponferradina.[10]
Athuman received his first call from Kenya in mid May 2016, for a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Congo the following month. He made his debut on 31 May 2016 in a friendly with Sudan.[11] He has also represented Kenya at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.[12]
Athuman's father, Said Ali Athuman Mbaga, known as Billy, is a Kenyan contortionist and acrobat, who lives in Gran Canaria.[2]