Discovering Yohanna in Nigeria: My Experience as a Scout

Herish Sadi, the scout who found winger Zadok Yohanna, explained how he spotted the talent in Nigeria.

Yohanna has moved from Swedish club AIK to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 18‑year‑old signed a five‑year contract with the Seagulls after impressing at AIK.

After the transfer, Sadi said he was prepared to risk his position at AIK to secure Yohanna.

“I was really impressed watching him play as a number 10 and on the wing. There were a lot of scouts there, and we had to move fast,” Sadi told Brila Media X.

“I called AIK’s CEO and said: ‘How would a hundred million Krona (€10 million) feel? You need to close this deal right away. If he doesn’t turn out well, fire me. Fire me without compensation.’

“I negotiated with the president and managers there. I actually finalized the deal that same evening, and he officially became an AIK player.”

Born in Bauchi State, Nigeria, Yohanna began his career at the Ikon Allah Football Academy before being recruited by AIK in 2025.

After arriving in Sweden, he quickly became a key part of the club’s structure and broke into the first team during the 2026 season.

Also Read: ‘I Enjoyed Every Second’ — Yohanna Grateful To AIK For Career Development

He started with AIK’s under‑19 side, scoring four goals in three matches in the P19 Allsvenskan. Head coach Mikkjal Thomassen soon began integrating him into first‑team training.

Yohanna made his club debut on 17 August 2025, coming on as an 89th‑minute substitute against IFK Göteborg at Gamla Ullevi in a 2–1 loss.

Three days later, he earned his first start, playing the full match in the qualification round of the 2025–26 Svenska Cupen against Hudiksvalls FF, which AIK won 7–0.

In May 2026, Yohanna received his first call‑up to the Super Eagles for the four‑nation Unity Cup in London.

The next day, AIK announced it would not release him for international duty because he was in a critical final stage of rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

By James Agberebi