Good Player Guide #4 - Razak Omotoyossi

Razak Omotoyossi

(Helsingborgs IF / Benin)

Realistically Benin were never going to make it out of an African Cup of Nations 2008 group that included Nigeria, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire and, as expected, this ultimately proved the case. Despite finishing bottom of Group B with no points on the board however, the team played with a tenacity and a lust for attacking football that was heart-warming to watch, and this enthusiasm was no more so evident than in the efforts of their attacking talisman and most gifted player Razak Omotoyossi.

An inventive striker with a keen eye for goal, Omotoyossi has impressed many with his exploits for Swedish club Helsingborgs IF thus far, scoring 23 goals in 41 appearances, and his game has developed remarkably in the company of strike partner Henrik Larsson, with whom he enjoys a good understanding.

Of Nigerian descent, Omotoyossi was born in Lagos and began his career playing for Sunshine Stars FC of the Nigerian Premier League. However the relationship with his country of birth soured when, in 2003, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) slapped the striker with a five year ban for allegedly assaulting a referee – an accusation he vehemently denied. "Another player attacked the referee and even though there was video evidence to prove that, the NFA said I had to serve the ban," he stated in his defence. With the future looking bleak in his native land and the NFA proving steadfast in their decision to uphold the sanctions despite the player’s appeals, Omotoyossi eventually made the decision to decamp to Benin where he set about resurrecting his embryonic career.

In Benin he was quick to show his promise, dazzling opponents with electrifying pace and wonderful technique, and within a year he made the decision to switch citizenship to his adopted homeland, even starring for them in the 2005 World Youth Championships. This attracted Moldovan side FC Sherriff Tirasapol, where Omotoyossi spent one season before moving on to the Swedish Allsvenskan to join Helsingborgs IF.

Recently, on the back of an encouraging Cup of Nations and a thrilling spell in Sweden, the promising twenty-two year old has come to the attention of several clubs around Europe and back in January he turned down a move to Dutch Eredivisie outfit FC Groningen for financial reasons, describing footballers as being like ‘prostitutes.’ With the likes of Reading, Portsmouth and PSV Eindhoven rumoured to be monitoring the situation very closely however, it seems just a matter of time before this strong, energetic frontman gets the chance to star in one of Europe’s higher profile leagues.