Alhaji Gero facts for kids
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Gero playing for Esteghlal in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Salisu Abdullahi Gero | ||
| Date of birth | 10 October 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Kano State, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.89 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Barito Putera | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2010 | El-Kanemi Warriors | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2011 | Lobi Stars | ||
| 2012 | Kaduna United | 14 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Enugu Rangers | ||
| 2013–2014 | Östers IF | 36 | (9) |
| 2015–2016 | Viborg FF | 23 | (1) |
| 2016–2018 | Östersunds FK | 55 | (6) |
| 2018 | Esteghlal | 8 | (1) |
| 2019 | Östersunds FK | 13 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | Helsingborgs IF | 33 | (4) |
| 2022 | FF Jaro | 10 | (6) |
| 2023 | TPS | 25 | (9) |
| 2024– | Barito Putera | 15 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2012–2013 | Nigeria U20 | 16 | (6) |
| 2013 | Nigeria | 1 | (0) |
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Salisu Abdullahi "Alhaji" Gero (born 10 October 1993) is a professional footballer from Nigeria. He plays as a forward, which means he tries to score goals. Currently, he plays for Barito Putera, a club in Indonesia.
Contents
Alhaji Gero's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Alhaji Gero started playing football on the streets of his hometown, Kano, in Nigeria. When he was sixteen, he signed his first professional contract with a team called El-Kanemi Warriors. The very next year, he moved to another club, Lobi Stars.
In April 2012, Gero joined Enugu Rangers from Kaduna United. He made an instant impact, scoring a goal in his very first game. This goal helped his team get a 1–1 draw, which was important for them in the 2012 Nigeria Premier League season.
Playing in Europe
In August 2013, Gero signed a contract with Östers IF, a Swedish football club. The team was going to play in the Superettan, which is the second-highest league in Sweden, for the 2014 season.
In December 2014, Gero moved to Denmark and joined Viborg FF. He joined them on a free transfer, which means no money was paid between the clubs for him to move. He played 15 matches and scored one goal in his first season there. In January 2016, Gero left Viborg FF because he wasn't playing much.
Time with Östersunds
Gero then signed with Östersunds FK in Sweden on January 18, 2016. This was a big step for him. On September 14, 2017, he scored his first goal in a European competition. This means he scored in a tournament where top clubs from different European countries play against each other. His goal was against a team called Zorya Luhansk.
Moving to Iran
On August 8, 2018, Gero signed a three-year contract with Esteghlal, a team in Iran. He was given the number 9 jersey, which was the same number he wore at Östersunds FK.
He played his first game for Esteghlal on August 10, 2018. He came on as a substitute in a 3–0 league win. He scored his first goal for the club in a cup match, but his team eventually lost the game after a penalty shootout. After only four months, in December, his contract with Esteghlal ended by agreement. He didn't score any goals in the league during this time.
Back to Sweden and Finland
On February 25, 2019, Gero returned to his former club, Östersunds FK. However, he didn't stay long. On July 9, 2019, he signed a two-year contract with Helsingborgs IF, another Swedish club that had recently been promoted to a higher league.
Later, on August 13, 2022, Gero moved to Finland. He joined a Finnish club called Jaro and signed a contract until the end of that season. On March 8, 2023, he signed another one-year contract with TPS, also in Finland.
Playing for His Country
Alhaji Gero has also played for his home country, Nigeria.
Nigeria Under-20 Team
He first played for the Nigeria national under-20 team in a special tournament in South Africa. He scored two goals in his first official game for the U20 team against Tanzania. Nigeria won that game 2–1. He scored again in the return match, helping Nigeria win 4–1 overall. Gero also played for the U20 team in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is a big international tournament for young players.
Nigeria National Team
In the same year, 2013, he was called up to play for the main Nigeria national team. He played in a match against the Ivory Coast national team as part of the qualification games for the 2014 African Nations Championship.
Family Life
Alhaji Gero has a younger brother named Ahmad. Ahmad is also a professional football player, just like Alhaji.
Achievements and Awards
Alhaji Gero has won some important trophies with his teams:
Viborg
- Danish 1st Division: 2014–15 (This means his team won the second-highest league in Denmark)
Östersunds
- Svenska Cupen: 2016–17 (This is a major cup competition in Sweden)
