Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt win race for Nigerian Viareggio Cup revelation Hafiz Umar Ibrahim

The Ojodu City FC striker will move to Norway with hopes of following in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Boniface

Ojodu City FC’s Hafiz Umar Ibrahim will join Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt on Monday if both sides agree on personal terms, Soccernet.ng can exclusively reveal.

The 18-year-old striker became a revelation after scoring 10 goals as his team reached the semi finals of the Viareggio Cup in Italy last week.

Ibrahim, born in Kano, northern Nigeria’s biggest city, scored consecutive hattricks against opponents in the tournament where he was named Golden Boy as he finished top scorer.

Soccernet.ng reported interest in him from various top clubs including Inter, AC Milan and Fiorentina from the beginning of the tournament. His agent Oluwabunmi Moses Egbebi held on for him to finish the tournament before making the decision.

Bodo have now beat the other teams to his signature and have invited the player over to meet the rest of the A squad ahead of signing the deal on Monday, March 4.

He will participate in two training drills, perform a medical and negotiate personal terms ahead of signing the deal.

Three-time Norwegian champions, Bodo was home to Victor Boniface before he moved to Belgian side Union Saint Gilloise where he proved himself, with a further move to Bayer Leverkusen.

Boniface won two titles with Bodo.

In a recent interview on the Obi-One Podcast, Boniface described the city as quiet, cold and all he did was play and rest. Unfortunately, he also struggled because of injuries that left him depressed. But he spoke highly of the culture of the people who took great care of him and other foreign players.

Ibrahim, who sees Romelu Lukaku as his mentor, told Soccernet.ng that he wants to take his family out of poverty.

He used to sell fruits in the Kano market to assist his parents and siblings. Now he will get the chance to help change their lives.