He was not considered good enough for both the Golden Eaglets and the Flying Eagles, but now Bauchi-born Zadok Yohanna, whose Nigerian academy President described him as “my special boy”, is simply sizzling in Sweden.
After just a handful of games for one of Sweden’s traditional clubs, AIK Solna, the 18-year-old electrifying winger has caught the attention of the football world with some mind-blowing stats – he is already averaging a goal or assist every 59 minutes this season, five goal contributions in his last four matches and his successful dribbles per game have been phenomenal.
For the opening game of the new season, Sofascore awarded Zadok a personal rating of 9.9 points after he fired the winning goal against Halmstad. The Man of the Match.
It is still early days, but Zadok is now being seen in the same light as one of AIK biggest exports – Alexander Isak of Liverpool.
In his AIK days, Liverpool record signing Isak wore the No 36 shirt, just as Zadok now does so proudly.
What a goal Zadok Yohanna scored against BK Häcken. https://t.co/T7QTDxN1YT pic.twitter.com/DgQRp7yM2a
— 🇸🇪 (@SwedeStats) March 10, 2026
Is the President of Ikon Allah Academy in Kaduna, Mohammed Ayi, surprised by what his little gift to AIK has become within a short time?
“We’re all excited by what Zadok has done in such little time,” he answered.
“He is my ‘special boy’, who is only getting started and will before long be rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest players in world football.
“He is money in the bank, a player who is capable of defining his own generation.”
Ayi himself admitted he first had his fears when the player’s older brother first brought him over to his academy at the tender age of 13.
“The ball was bigger than the boy,” he recounted.
“I stood by one of the goal posts, deep in thought about how this journey will be, but even then something told me I had something special, it was just how to bring this out for the rest of the world to see.”
SCORENigeria learnt that both the country’s U17 team, the Golden Eaglets, as well as their U20 counterparts, the Flying Eagles, turned him away when he tried out with them.
It was first the Eaglets class under coach Nduka Ugbade and thereafter Zadok was axed by coach Aliyu Zubairu of the Flying Eagles even after his extended time with the team in training camp in Katsina.
The saving grace will be a foreign scout, Herish Sadi, who literally put his job on the line for AIK to give him his first professional contract when he clocked 18 last June.
He got the AIK President to close the deal for the boy on the first day he set his eyes on him.
Zadok took his chance, he was the shining star for the AIK U19s and even managed to score three goals in cup games with the main team.
Ikon Allah Academy President revealed that interests for the youngster began last year when he was playing mainly with the U19s.
“I know several top clubs were already monitoring the boy even then because he made such a huge impact,” Ayi told SCORENigeria
Top Belgian team Club Brugge have now joined the likes of Chelsea and Ajax for the signature of Zadok.
Reports out of Sweden suggested that as many as 30 scouts from across Europe were at the derby between AIk and IF Brommapojkarna.
Zadok got an assist for the opening goal and AIK were running away with a 2-1 win on the road before their local rivals snatched a stoppage time equaliser to split the points Monday night.
The questions now are when and for how much will AIK cash in on this wonder boy.
The Swedish capital city club want at least 15 million euros with some other sources even suggesting much more.
This summer may well be too soon for the top clubs to put up a little fortune for a promising talent like Zadok, who still has a long road ahead of him.
But in the transfer market, anything is possible and that’s why they nicknamed it “the silly season”.
