Out-of-contract Abdullahi Shehu signs for Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia

Published on: 21 September 2020

Omonia Nicosia have announced the signing of Abdullahi Shehu on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Bursaspor.

The 27-year-old penned a two-year deal with the Cypriot champions and he will be looking to help them qualify for the Uefa Champions League group stage this season.

Shehu, who previously played for Anorthosis in Cyprus, left Turkey at the end of his contract with second division side Bursaspor in August.

The Kano-born defender joins Ghana striker Ernest Asante and Senegal's Mamadou Sene in Henning Berg's team for the 2020-21 season.

Omonia currently sit seventh in the Cypriot top-flight table having won just one of their last three matches, with five points after three games.

Last season, Shehu contributed four goals in 33 games for Bursaspor, however, his efforts were not enough to help the Green Crocodiles return to the Turkish Super Lig after their sixth-place finish.

He penned a heartfelt goodbye to the Bursa outfit on Saturday as he recalled the memories from the 60 league matches he played for the club.

“After two-and-a-half-year at Bursa city with over 60 games, beautiful and ugly moments, it is time to say goodbye. A difficult decision, but the time has now come to move on," the Nigeria international wrote.

“Where do I begin? When I received the offer from Bursaspor in January 2018 I was convinced it was the best decision of my career, to play at this big club with a huge history in Turkish Football.

“It was an emotional day when I made my competitive debut against Alanyaspor, four days after my unveiling. My first home game against Besiktas was credible with the Crocodiles.

“To play for one of the biggest clubs in the Turkish League, to become part of the Bursa family, to work with some of the best managers and players in the world, has truly been an honour.

“We fought hard in 2019 and relegated, it was an ugly experience. I had offers to play in the First Division League but I decided to stay with this great club, my passion, and loyalty for the Bursa badge. It was my best decision and I didn’t regret making such sacrifices for this lovely family.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t make it back to the Super Lig this year and my decision to move on was to embrace another challenge in my career, and I am really grateful to the Bursaspor fans and family for their support throughout my time at the club.

“To everyone at Bursaspor, I want to say Goodbye, and Thank You. You will always be part of who I am, and I wish Bursaspor the best of luck next season. I am certainly going to miss my teammates, coaches, staff, management and the superb fans that treated me like a King.”

Comments