Sheikh Sibi (born 21 February 1998) is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian Serie C Group A club Virtus Verona and the Gambia national team.[1]
Early life
Sibi was born in Serekunda to a Gambian mother and a Mauritanian father.[2] He left Gambia at the age of 16 with the hope of migrating to Europe. During the journey, he crossed the Sahara desert and reached Tripoli, where he worked as a painter for five months. In July 2015, he crossed the Mediterranean Sea in a boat and reached the Italian island of Lampedusa.[3]
Club career
Following his arrival in Italy, Sibi was assigned to Costagrande Reception Center in Verona. He soon moved to Virtus Vita, a non-profit organization which welcomes migrants. Since Virtus Vita and Virtus Verona were owned by the same company Vencomp, it helped Sibi to continue his football career.[4]
Sibi made his club debut for Virtus Verona on 30 October 2016 in a 2–1 Serie D defeat to Union Feltre. He made his Serie C and professional debut on 16 September 2018 in a 2–0 defeat to Fermana.[5]
International career
Sibi has received several call-ups to the Gambia national team since June 2019.[6] He made his international debut on 29 March 2021 in a 1–0 defeat to DR Congo.[7] He played in the 2021 Africa cup of Nations, his national team’s first continental tournament, where they made a sensational quarter-final.[8][9]
Career statistics
International
- As of match played 18 November 2025[10]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gambia | 2021 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | |
References
- ^ Sheikh Sibi at Soccerway
- ^ “Scorpions Profile- Sheikh Sibi, Goal Keeper”. October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ “Sibi, che storia! “La mia speranza in un barcone. Ora il calcio a Verona”“. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ “Fere, occhio a Sibi: dal barcone alla Virtus Verona col mito di Buffon”. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ “Fermana vs. Virtus Verona – 16 September 2018”. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ “Sibi Sheikh: dall’inferno del Mediterraneo al paradiso della Nazionale”. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ “Sheikh Sibi gets heroic status after impressive Gambia debut”. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ https://www.cafonline.com/total-africa -cup-of-nations/matches/2021/2243295/lineups
- ^ “The Gambia name squad for first Nations Cup finals”. BBC Sport.
- ^ “Profile of Sheikh Sibi”. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
External links
- Sheikh Sibi at WorldFootball.net
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