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Profile of young Gambian sensation - Saidy Janko

Dec 1, 2011, 3:29 PM | Article By: Cherno Omar Bobb

Gambia and FC Zurich’s versatile footballer Saidy Janko, who moved to Switzerland six years ago, is making a name for himself in Europe’s youth category football.

The 16-year-old young sensation who recently signed a three-year extension to his Zurich contract tying him at the club until 2014 when he turns 19, currently plies his European trade with FC Zurich U-17 and U-18 sides. His eye-catching performance since moving to Swiss is considered the driving force behind Saidy’s success.

He first called the attention of Zurich authorities in 2005 and played his first game on 5 October that same year.

Saidy, who weighs 73kg, has even turned down recruitment procedures for previous Swiss national youth selections just for the sake of The Gambia, according to his father Bakary Janko.

Information reaching Pointsport desk can confirm that Saidy, who was born in Zurich on 22 October 1995, was scouted by some premiership and championship clubs in England.

Saidy, who did his academic studies at the United School of Sports, the best sports education school in Zurich, started his career at a club called INTER ZURICH before proceeding to FC Ales Reines.

His love and passion for football paves the way for his involvement in a series of youth competitions, such as Nike Premium Cup Aarhus, Denmark in 2011, ALBERTO D’AGUANNO MEMORIAL CUP Montichiari, Italy in 2008, Otterfinger Challeng Cup Otterfinger, Germany in 2007, Mini ME Skalna, Czech Republic, Rehau, Germany in 2006, and Torneo Intererzionalle’Amizia Ticino, Switzerland.

Saidy Janko’s youthful football experience has put him on a promising road to success and fame.

Surely with the help of his Gambian father and Swiss/Italian mother and family friends around him, he will remain firm on the ground and not get carried away or big headed.

His dad Bakary Janko is an origin of Nyani Kayaye in the Sami district of CRR.

“I cannot emphasize enough how strong the boy feels about The Gambia and how badly he wants to play for his country of origin,” says the player’s father who informed Pointsport about his son’s recent progress in Switzerland.