Nigeria goalkeeper turns striker, nets seven goals, 15 assists in 13 games

Nigerian international Suleman Shaibu, a goalkeeper who plies his trade with TP Mazembe, has been in the news recently because of his goal-scoring skills despite being behind the sticks.

Shaibu, a 22-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper, has also become a striker for the club with his goal-scoring skills after the club was banned by FIFA from signing players.

The Nigerian became an outfield player when FIFA, the global football body, banned TP Mazembe and some other clubs from registering new players over breaches in players’ contracts.

This led to him becoming a striker, as the club was unable to register new players, and the club had confidence in him to take on the point man’s role.

He came on for his first game as a striker against Don Bosco in the 65th minute of the game in October 2024.

Since then, he has netted over seven times in games and also had assists in 15 matches while playing as a substitute in 13 games.

The Kano-born goalkeeper-turned-striker said the club and the fans thought it was a joke when he offered to switch.

Shaibu, in a TheCable report, said that many people did not have faith in him to play as a striker.
The Kano-born player revealed that when he initially suggested switching to an outfield position, many within the club dismissed the idea as a joke. He explained that while he was confident in his abilities, most people around him could not imagine a goalkeeper excelling in a striking role.

Shaibu noted that the FIFA ban on new signings had left the team with limited options, especially in attack, as some key players had departed and the only remaining striker was struggling to score. Seeing the situation, he approached the coach and proposed the idea of training as a forward. He recalled telling the coach