Vahid Hambo

Vahid Hambo

Hambo with SJK in 2018.
Personal information
Date of birth	(1995-02-03) 3 February 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth	Helsinki, Finland
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	HJK
2012–2014	Sampdoria
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014	Ilves	5	(1)
2015	Inter Turku	6	(4)
2015–2017	Brighton & Hove Albion	0	(0)
2017–2018	SJK	22	(3)
2018	→ SJK Akatemia	1	(0)
2018	RoPS	11	(3)
2019	Astra Giurgiu	6	(0)
2019	Sūduva	4	(0)
2020	Lahti	17	(3)
2021–2022	IFK Mariehamn	39	(7)
2023–	VJS	5	(7)
International career
2011–2012	Finland U17	3	(0)
2013–2014	Finland U19	3	(3)
2015–2016	Finland U21	1	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 December 2023

Vahid Hambo (born 3 February 1995) is a Finnish footballer of Bosnian descent who plays as a striker. ^[1] He has been described as a tall, powerful player. ^[2]

Club career

Early years

Born in Helsinki to Bosnian parents, he played with his local team, HJK's youth sides before switching to Sampdoria's Primavera team. His time in Italy was blighted by injuries, and after two years his contract was terminated by mutual consent, after scoring only once in 23 games. ^[3]

Ilves and Inter Turku

After his departure from Sampdoria, Hambo signed for Ilves in the Finnish second division, Ykkönen. He impressed and was quickly grabbed by Inter Turku in the top-flight Veikkausliiga. His good form continued, but injuries limited his playing time, making only 6 appearances in the league. Despite this, he was hailed as one of Inter's best players. ^[4]

Brighton

Still recovering from a knee injury, Hambo signed for Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Championship, joining fellow Finn Niki Mäenpää. The club's officials stated that Hambo would start playing for the reserve team firstly, to get him known to English football better and help recover from his injury. ^[5]

SJK

On 19 July 2017, Hambo returned to Finland, signing for Veikkausliiga club SJK until the end of the 2018 season. ^[6]

RoPS

Hambo signed with RoPS in August 2018, but left the club again after the season. ^[7]

Astra Giurgiu

On 7 February 2019 Vahid Hambo signed a contract, valid for two years and a half, with Romanian side FC Astra Giurgiu. ^[8]

Sūduva

On 12 September 2019 he became a member of Lithuanian FK Sūduva Marijampolė. ^{[9] [10]}

International career

Hambo has appeared for Finnish under 21-side. He was also selected for a match for the senior side in the 2016 Euro's qualifying, but had to withdraw due to his injury.

Career statistics

As of 23 May 2024 ^[11]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Domestic Cups [lower-alpha 1]		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Ilves	2014	Ykkönen	5	1	–		–		5	1
Inter Turku	2015	Veikkausliiga	6	4	7	9	–		13	13
Brighton & Hove Albion	2015–16	Championship	0	0	0	0	–		0	0
	2016–17	Championship	0	0	0	0	–		0	0
	Total		0	0	0	0	–	–	0	0
SJK	2017	Veikkausliiga	7	1	0	0	–		7	1
	2018	Veikkausliiga	15	2	5	3	–		20	5
	Total		22	3	5	3	–	–	27	6
SJK Akatemia	2018	Kakkonen	1	2	–		–		1	2
RoPS	2018	Veikkausliiga	11	3	–		–		11	3
Astra Giurgiu	2018–19	Liga I	5	0	2	2	–		7	2
	2019–20	Liga I	1	0	0	0	–		1	0
	Total		6	0	2	2	–	–	8	2
Sūduva	2019	A Lyga	4	0	1	0	–		5	0
Lahti	2020	Veikkausliiga	17	3	6	4	–		23	7
IFK Mariehamn	2021	Veikkausliiga	18	5	3	0	–		21	5
	2022	Veikkausliiga	22	2	6	1	–		28	3
	Total		40	7	9	1	–	–	49	8
VJS	2023	Kolmonen	5	7	–		–		5	7
Career total			117	30	30	19	–	–	147	49

1. Includes Suomen Cup, Finnish League Cup, Cupa României and Lithuanian Cup

Honours

Astra Giurgiu

• Cupa României: Runner-up 2018–19

Individual

• Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: April 2015 ^[12]

External links

• Vahid Hambo at Soccerway
• (in Finnish) Profile at veikkausliiga.com
• Vahid Hambo | Twentyfour Management (in Finnish)

References

1. "NY anfallare till IFK".
2. "Brighton sign Finland U-21 striker". 22 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
3. "Hambo rescinde il contratto" [Hambo rescinds contract] (in Italian). 21 June 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2015.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. "Hambo joins Mäenpää in Brighton" (in Finnish). 21 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
5. "Brighton sign U21 star Vahid Hambo". 21 July 2015.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
6. "Hambo, Sundman and Sheppard SJK". sjk2007.fi. SJK. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
7. Veikkausliigan siirrot talvella 2018-2019, veikkausliiga.com, 23 December 2018
8. Internaționalul finlandez Vahid Hambo – cel mai nou ”astrist”. afcastragiurgiu.ro (in Romanian)
9. ""Sūduvą" papildė puolėjas V. Hambo – FK Sūduva".
10. "Čempionai greitai rado pamainą išvykusiam S. Gotalui | A Lyga | Aukščiausia Lietuvos futbolo lyga".
11. Vahid Hambo, Football Association of Finland
12. Vahid Hambo huhtikuun kuukauden pelaaja (in Finnish)