{{Short description|Sierra Leonean footballer (born 1986)}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Sheriff Suma | image = SheriffSumawiki1.jpg | upright = | caption = Suma with Sierra Leone | full_name = Sheriff Awilo Suma<ref name="nft">{{NFT|16509}}</ref><ref name="wf">{{worldfootball.net|sheriff-suma|new_id=pe13059}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|10|12}} | birth_place = Freetown, Sierra Leone<ref name="nft"/> | height = 1.83 m<ref name="nft"/> | position = Left winger<ref name="wf"/> | currentclub = | years1 = 2002–2005 | clubs1 = F.C. Kallon | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2005–2006 | clubs2 = Åtvidabergs FF | caps2 = 49 | goals2 = 7 | years3 = 2007–2008 | clubs3 = GAIS | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2008 | clubs4 = → Haugesund (loan) | caps4 = 11 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2009 | clubs5 = Ermis Aradippou | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 2 | years6 = 2010 | clubs6 = Kocaelispor | caps6 = 5 | goals6 = 1 | years7 = 2010–2011 | clubs7 = Jönköpings Södra | caps7 = 22 | goals7 = 3 | years8 = 2011–2012 | clubs8 = Ravan Baku | caps8 = 38 | goals8 = 1 | years9 = 2013 | clubs9 = FC Johansen | caps9 = | goals9 = | years10 = 2014–2015 | clubs10 = Syrianska Kerburan | caps10 = | goals10 = | years11 = 2015 | clubs11 = Ravan Baku | caps11 = 17 | goals11 = 1 | years12 = 2018–2019 | clubs12 = Atlanta SC | caps12 = | goals12 = | nationalyears1 = 2006–2013 | nationalteam1 = Sierra Leone | nationalcaps1 = 36 | nationalgoals1 = 3 }} '''Sheriff Awilo Suma''' (born 12 October 1986) is a Sierra Leonean former professional footballer who played as a left winger. A member of Sierra Leone U17 national team at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, he made his debut for the senior national team in 2006.
Suma is one of the most popular Sierra Leonean footballers and he is known for frequently changing his unusual and colourful hairstyles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.switsalone.com/10138_sheriff-suman-man-of-the-moment/|title=Sheriff Suma: Man of the Moment {{!}} Sierra Leone News|last=Remoe|first=Vickie|website=www.switsalone.com|date=7 December 2011 |language=en-US|access-date=16 May 2018}}</ref>
==Career== Suma was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Like many African footballers, Suma grew up playing street football in his neighbourhood.
He fled his country's civil war and moved to The Gambia in 1997. Suma was widely considered the best Sierra Leonean youth footballer while in The Gambia. In 2001, the young Suma was discovered by Sierra Leonean football agent Chernor Musa Jalloh while playing in a local football league in Banjul, Gambia. Jalloh introduced Suma to Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leone's most successful footballer. Kallon asked him if he would like to play for F.C. Kallon in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. Suma returned to Sierra Leone for the first time in five years in 2002 and sign for top Sierra Leone National Premier League club F.C. Kallon, which is owned by Mohamed Kallon himself. In his first season in the Sierra Leonean Premier League, Suma was the second top goal-scorer.
After playing in the qualifying rounds, Suma was omitted from the final squad for the 2003 African U-17 Championship in Swaziland, something he describes as the worst moment of his life. In the championship, Sierra Leone placed second, behind Cameroon, thereby qualifying for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland.
Fortunately for Suma, he was called back to the squad for the U-17 world championship in Finland. While the team failed to advance past the group stage of the tournament, the coach commended Suma for his energy and flair with the ball. Following this event, 12 of the 23 players failed to return to Sierra Leone and some later applied for political asylum. Among those who ''did'' return home was Suma.
Shortly after the U-17 world championship, talent scout Chernor Musa Jalloh helped Suma move to the Swedish team Åtvidaberg on a two-year contract from F.C. Kallon.
Suma made his debut for the senior national team on 3 September 2006 in a 2008 African Nations Cup qualifying match against Mali in Freetown. In December 2006, Suma was traded to GAIS, one of Sweden's oldest teams.
Suma was loaned to FK Haugesund in the summer of 2008 for the rest of the season.
In December 2012 Suma was released from his contract with Ravan Baku.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=ru&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.azerifootball.com/ru/13/news/16783.html&usg=ALkJrhjbu6ChJVN6sOvLNI8hice-UDtIJw|title=Google Translate|website=translate.googleusercontent.com|access-date=16 May 2018}}</ref>
In June 2014 Suma joined Syrianska Kerburan with fellow Sierra Leone International Samuel Barlay,<ref>{{cite web|title=Big-Sam återvänder till klubben|url=http://www.syrianskaif.com/Big-Sam-aatervaender.htm|website=www.syrianskaif.com|publisher=Syrianska Kerburan|accessdate=23 June 2014|language=Swedish|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006100856/http://www.syrianskaif.com/Big-Sam-aatervaender.htm|archivedate=6 October 2014}}</ref> signing a new one-year contract with Syrianska Kerburan in December 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Barlay, Suma sign new deal with Syrianska IF|url=http://www.footballsierraleone.net/barlay-suma-sign-new-deal-with-syrianska-if/|website=www.footballsierraleone.net/|publisher=Football Sierra Leone|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=18 December 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227165611/http://www.footballsierraleone.net/barlay-suma-sign-new-deal-with-syrianska-if/|archivedate=27 December 2014}}</ref>
In July 2015, Suma's proposed move to Kvik Halden FK fell through,<ref>{{cite web|title=Suma's contract with new club cancelled|url=http://sierraleonefootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:sumas-contract-with-new-club-cancelled&catid=1:latest-news|website=sierraleonefootball.com/|publisher=Sierra Leone Football|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=25 July 2015}}</ref> before later in the same month he re-signed for Azerbaijan Premier League side Ravan Baku FK.
==Career statistics== {{updated|12 November 2013}}<ref name="Soccerway Profile">{{Soccerway|6122|accessdate=12 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=EP Football Sheriff Suma|url=http://www.eliteprospects.com/football/player.php?player=855|website=www.eliteprospects.com/|accessdate=12 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sheriff Suma|url=https://svenskfotboll.se/superettan/person/?playerid=4255|website=svenskfotboll.se/|accessdate=12 November 2013}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Åtvidaberg |2005 |rowspan="2"|Superettan |23||4|| || ||colspan="2"|–||23||4 |- |2006 |26||3|| || ||colspan="2"|–||26||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !49!!7!!0!!0!!0!!0!!49!!7 |- |rowspan="3"|GAIS |2007 |rowspan="2"|Allsvenskan |9||0|| || ||colspan="2"|–||9||0 |- |2008 |5||0|| || ||colspan="2"|–||5||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !14!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!14!!0 |- |Haugesund (loan)||2008 |Adeccoligaen |11||1|| || ||colspan="2"|–||11||1 |- |Ermis Aradippou |2009–10 |Marfin Laiki League |14||2||0||0||colspan="2"|–||14||2 |- |Kocaelispor |2009–10 |PTT 1. Lig<ref>{{cite web|title=Sheriff Suma TFF|url=http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=526&kisiId=1308538|website=www.tff.org/|accessdate=12 November 2013}}</ref> ||5||1||0||0||colspan="2"|–||5||1 |- |rowspan="3"|Jönköpings Södra |2010 |rowspan="2"|Superettan |10||1|| || ||colspan="2"|–||10||1 |- |2011 |11||1||2||0||colspan="2"|–||13||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !21!!2!!2!!0!!0!!0!!23!!2 |- |rowspan="3"|Ravan Baku |2011–12<ref>{{cite web|title=Premier League Stats 2011/12|url=http://www.pfl.az/upload/arxiv/201112/oyuncustats201112.pdf|publisher=Peşəkar Futbol Liqası|accessdate=12 November 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017180225/http://www.pfl.az/upload/arxiv/201112/oyuncustats201112.pdf|archivedate=17 October 2013}}</ref> |rowspan="2"|Azerbaijan Premier League |28||1||1||0||colspan="2"|–||29||1 |- |2012–13<ref>{{cite web|title=Premier League Stats 2012/13|url=http://www.pfl.az/upload/arxiv/201213/oyuncu21.pdf|publisher=Peşəkar Futbol Liqası|accessdate=12 November 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017180215/http://www.pfl.az/upload/arxiv/201213/oyuncu21.pdf|archivedate=17 October 2013}}</ref> |10||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||11||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !38!!1!!2!!0!!0!!0!!40!!1 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !152!!14!!4!!0!!0!!0!!156!!14 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=157168 Profile at goal.com] * {{NFT}} * {{Elitefootball|855}} * {{SvFF player|id=3a16954c-e06b-4abb-9c5a-3be7112b807c}} * {{SvFF club player|pid=4255|pid_archive=20140720182647}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suma, Sheriff}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Susu people Category:Sierra Leonean Muslims Category:Sierra Leonean men's footballers Category:Footballers from Freetown Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Sierra Leone men's international footballers Category:Allsvenskan players Category:Superettan players Category:Norwegian First Division players Category:Cypriot First Division players Category:TFF 1. Lig players Category:Azerbaijan Premier League players Category:National Premier Soccer League players Category:National Independent Soccer Association players Category:GAIS players Category:Åtvidabergs FF players Category:FK Haugesund players Category:Ermis Aradippou FC players Category:Kocaelispor footballers Category:Jönköpings Södra IF players Category:Syrianska IF Kerburan players Category:Ravan Baku FK players Category:Atlanta Silverbacks FC players Category:Sierra Leonean people of Guinean descent Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate men's footballers Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in the Gambia Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Gambia Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Sweden Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Norway Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in Azerbaijan Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Azerbaijan Category:Sierra Leonean expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States