Herish Sadi, the talent spotter who unearthed rising star Zadok Yohanna, has opened up about the dramatic pursuit that brought the Nigerian winger from a local academy to European football.
Yohanna, 18, recently sealed a five-year transfer from Swedish side AIK to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, following a breakout season in Sweden.
Reflecting on the signing, Sadi admitted he was so convinced of Yohanna’s potential that he put his own job on the line to convince AIK’s hierarchy to act quickly.
“I watched him play as a number 10 and on the wing, and I was blown away,” Sadi told Brila Media. “There were many scouts in the stands, so we had no time to waste.
“I called AIK’s CEO and said: ‘How does 100 million Krona (€10 million) sound? Close this deal now. If he flops, fire me – no compensation.’”
Sadi negotiated directly with the club’s president and managers, finalising the transfer the same evening. “He became an AIK player that night,” he added.
Born in Bauchi State, Nigeria, Yohanna first developed his skills at the Ikon Allah Football Academy before AIK came calling in 2025. He quickly rose through the ranks, making his first-team debut on 17 August 2025 as a late substitute against IFK Göteborg. Three days later, he played his first full match, helping AIK thrash Hudiksvalls FF 7–0 in the Swedish Cup qualifiers.
By May 2026, Yohanna had earned his maiden call-up to Nigeria’s Super Eagles for the Unity Cup in London. However, AIK declined to release him, citing the final stage of his recovery from a hamstring injury. The decision didn’t slow his momentum – he soon secured his move to Brighton, capping a meteoric rise from Nigerian grassroots football to the Premier League.
