Mustapha Sama Explained

Mustapha Sama
Fullname:Mustapha Pa Safa Sama
Birth Date:31 October 1979
Birth Place:Freetown, Sierra Leone
Position:Centre Back, Midfielder
Youthclubs1:Warry Brothers
Years1:1996
Clubs1:Wellington People
Years2:1997
Clubs2:Wusum Stars
Years3:1997
Clubs3:Ports Authority F.C.
Years4:1998–1999
Clubs4:East End Lions
Years5:1999
Clubs5:JS Kabylie
Years6:1999–2000
Clubs6:Boavista (CPV)
Years7:2000
Clubs7:Vasalund/Essinge IF
Years8:2001–2002
Clubs8:FK Haugesund
Caps8:48
Goals8:9
Years9:2002–2004
Clubs9:Charleroi
Caps9:31
Goals9:2
Years10:2005
Clubs10:Syrianska FC
Years11:2006–2007
Clubs11:LG-ACB Ha Noi
Years12:2007–2008
Clubs12:Persija Jakarta
Caps12:14
Goals12:1
Years13:2008–2009
Clubs13:Al-Wahda
Caps13:15
Goals13:0
Years14:2009
Clubs14:Carolina RailHawks
Years15:2010–2011
Clubs15:Rbac FC
Nationalyears1:1996–2008
Nationalteam1:Sierra Leone
Nationalcaps1:34
Nationalgoals1:2

Mustapha Pa Safa Sama (born 31 October 1979 in Freetown) is a Sierra Leonean former soccer player.

Career

Early career in Africa

Pa Safa was born and raised in Wellington, a poor neighbourhood in the east end of Freetown. He started his football career with his hometown club Wellington People in 1996 as a 17-year-old, and would later go on to play for several clubs in the Sierra Leone National Premier League, including Wusum Stars, Ports Authority and East End Lions, with whom he won the Sierra Leone National Premier League in 1999.

Sama also played for Algerian side JS Kabylie and Cape Verdean team Boavista prior to his move to Europe.[1]

Global nomad

Sama was signed by Swedish club Vasalund/Essinge IF in 2000, initiating a trip across the second divisions of Europe, playing for FK Haugesund in the Norwegian Adeccoligaen, Charleroi in the Belgian First Division, and Syrianska FC in Sweden. Sama was controversially terminated by Charleroi in 2005 after a dispute over the payment of match bonuses.[2]

Sama moved to his third continent – Asia – in 2006 to play for LG-ACB Ha Noi in the Vietnamese V-League, moved to Indonesia to play for Persija Jakarta in 2007, and then moved west to play for Al-Wahda in Syria in 2008.

Sama then took on his fourth continent – North America – in March 2009 when he signed for the Carolina RailHawks in the USL First Division.[3] After failing to get clearance to transfer to Carolina, Sama briefly went on trial with the San Jose Earthquakes.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Charleroi swoop for Sama. December 24, 2002. news.bbc.co.uk.
  2. Web site: Charleroi sack Sierra Leonean. March 9, 2005. news.bbc.co.uk.
  3. http://carolinarailhawks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=580&Itemid=152 Carolina RailHawks sign Sierra Leone International Mustapha Sama
  4. Web site: MLS Daily: Crew, DC and 'Quakes Looking At Trialists. https://web.archive.org/web/20090723185414/http://www.mls-daily.com/2009/07/crew-dc-and-quakes-looking-at-trialists.html. dead. July 23, 2009. July 23, 2009.