Bamidele Yusuf: 5 things to know about Ferencvaros’ striker eyeing Super Eagles call-up

Nigerian forward Bamidele Yusuf has emerged as one of the standout attacking talents at Hungarian giants Ferencvaros, and his profile has positioned him as an option for a first Super Eagles call-up under Eric Chelle, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Jos-born forward has been a regular fixture in Ferencvaros’ 2026/27 campaign since his summer 2025 move to Budapest, scoring against domestic rivals Ujpest and helping the Zöld Sasok progress through the Europa League play-off round with two goals across their tie with Trabzonspor.

A revealing Nemzeti Sport interview has pulled back the curtain on the striker’s background, family sacrifices, faith and long journey from Jos through Slovakia, Portugal and Serbia to Budapest.

Here are the five things Nigerian supporters need to know about the Ferencváros forward now on Eric Chelle’s radar.

5 things to know about Bamidele Yusuf

1. He was born in Jos, not Lagos

Multiple platforms have long listed Lagos as Yusuf’s birthplace, but the Ferencváros forward was born and raised in Jos, the capital of Plateau State in northern Nigeria. His parents and two younger sisters still live there today.

“Lagos and Jos cannot be compared – they are as different as heaven and earth,” the 25-year-old.

Jos, home to almost 900,000 people, sits at a higher altitude and enjoys a considerably cooler and calmer atmosphere than the 20 million-plus population of Lagos.

His mother tongue is Yoruba, and his family observed a devoutly Catholic household routine that trickles down to his pre-match preparation. Ferencvaros supporters have already noticed his habit of stopping at the sideline before every warm-up to pray.

“Before I step onto the pitch, I always spend a minute praying. I ask for God’s support, to watch over me and help me perform as well as possible.”

2. He left home at just 12 years old to chase his football dream

Yusuf left the family home in Jos at just 12 years old, moving alone to Lagos to pursue a professional football pathway. Lagos is over 15 hours by road from Jos, and the decision to leave his family behind at that age captures the sheer determination that has since defined his career.

“I knew that if I wanted to make my dreams come true, I had to step out of the familiar, protective environment,” Yusuf recalled.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. At first, I lived with my father’s brother, and only later moved into a boarding facility.

“I saw my family once or maybe twice a year.”

Yusuf grew up in a household where his parents often skipped meals to feed their five children.

“They worked hard and did everything they could to make sure none of us five children went without,” he said. “

But the table wasn’t always full. If they had to, they would go hungry so we could eat. I will never forget how much they sacrificed for us.”

Yusuf’s professional career has since been driven by the specific goal of sending money home to make his parents’ lives easier.

3. His career took him through four European countries before Budapest

Yusuf’s professional football pathway is well-travelled. His European chapter began at Slovak side Spartak Trnava in 2019, where he made almost 100 competitive appearances and won a domestic cup.

His next stop was Portuguese club Estoril, where minutes were limited, before a Serbian revival at first Radnicki Nis and then Vojvodina relaunched his goal-scoring reputation.

He scored 21 goals in 46 competitive appearances, a body of work that earned him his summer 2025 move to Ferencvaros. The Hungarian giants signed him as a versatile attacker capable of operating both on the flank and through the middle.

4. Emmanuel Adebayor was his childhood idol despite being a Chelsea fan

Despite being a Chelsea supporter from a young age, the Ferencvaros striker’s individual idol was Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor during his Arsenal peak.

“I loved Emmanuel Adebayor,” Yusuf said.

“I watched in awe on television as, as an Arsenal player, he almost trampled defenders. He was tall, strong and fast; he scored goals, and as a forward you could learn a huge amount from him.

“But my favourite team was still Chelsea. In Nigeria, everyone is crazy about English football, so as a child the Premier League represented the pinnacle for me.”

5. He is on Chelle’s radar for a first Super Eagles call-up

The final thing for Nigerian supporters to know is that Yusuf remains uncapped at the Super Eagles senior level, but is now formally on Chelle’s monitoring list ahead of the November 2026 AFCON qualifiers