Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Michael Folabi Dokunmu | ||
Date of birth | (2006-04-09) 9 April 2006 (age 18) | ||
Place of birth | Kimberley, South Africa | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Vitesse | ||
Number | 29 | ||
Youth career | |||
0000 | Little Kickers | ||
0000 | Old Parks | ||
0000 | Randburg FC | ||
0000 | SuperSport United | ||
2020– | Vitesse | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2024– | Vitesse | 1 | (0) |
International career | |||
2023– | South Africa U17 | 2 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 August 2024 |
Michael Folabi Dokunmu (born 9 April 2006) is a South African professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Dutch Eerste Divisie side Vitesse. He is regarded as a promising young player in South Africa.
Early life
Dokunmu was born in Kimberley, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and a South African mother.
Club career
Dokunmu started his career at a number of youth clubs in South Africa before joining professional side SuperSport United. In December 2019, his mother accepted a job in the Netherlands, and Dokunmu's family moved to the country.
The following summer, he went on trial with Eredivisie side Vitesse, before being accepted into their academy. He signed his first professional contract with the club in August 2022. He became Vitesse's third-youngest debutant, behind Brahim Darri and Mitchell van Bergen, when he appeared in a friendly game against SC Heerenveen.
International career
Eligible to represent South Africa and Nigeria through his parents, as well as the Netherlands, he was called up to the under-17 side of the latter for a training camp in January 2023. However, in April of the same year, he switched his international allegiance to South Africa, and was called up to their under-17 side ahead of the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. He stated that he had chosen to represent South Africa as it was his birthplace, and that he hoped to represent the nation's senior squad in future.
Personal life
His brother, Ethan, is also a footballer, and currently also plays in the academy of Vitesse.
References
- ^ Michael Dokunmu at WorldFootball.net
- ^ "Michael Dokunmu groeit bij Vitesse" [Michael Dokunmu is growing at Vitesse]. vitesse.nl (in Dutch). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- Droog, Julian (19 August 2022). "Zuid-Afrikaans talent tekent eerste contract bij Vitesse" [South African talent signs first contract with Vitesse]. gelderlander.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- Emmanuel, Ifeanyi (13 January 2023). "Netherlands make move to beat Nigeria, South Africa to talented Vitesse midfielder". allnigeriasoccer.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ Qoshe, Yolulwe (18 April 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: Michael Dokunmu ' Why I chose South Africa over Nigeria'". thesouthafrican.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
External links
- Michael Dokunmu at Soccerway
SBV Vitesse – current squad | |
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- 2006 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Kimberley, Northern Cape
- South African people of Nigerian descent
- South African men's soccer players
- South Africa men's youth international soccer players
- Men's association football midfielders
- SuperSport United F.C. players
- SBV Vitesse players
- Eerste Divisie players
- South African expatriate men's soccer players
- South African expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
- Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
- Soccer players from the Northern Cape
- 21st-century South African sportsmen