Ibba Laajab Explained

Ibba Laajab
Fullname:Abdurahim Laajab
Birth Date:21 May 1985
Birth Place:Morocco
Height:1.88 m
Position:Winger, striker
Youthclubs1:Vålerenga
Youthyears2:–2002
Youthclubs2:Moss
Years1:2003–2005
Clubs1:Skeid
Caps1:18
Goals1:2
Years2:2005
Clubs2:Drøbak/Frogn (loan)
Years3:2006
Clubs3:Sørumsand
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Years4:2006–2007
Clubs4:Borussia Mönchengladbach II
Caps4:1
Goals4:0
Years5:2007
Clubs5:Skeid
Caps5:16
Goals5:1
Years6:2008–2009
Clubs6:Notodden
Caps6:43
Goals6:10
Years7:2010
Clubs7:Mjøndalen
Caps7:27
Goals7:9
Years8:2011
Clubs8:Strømmen
Caps8:24
Goals8:7
Years9:2012
Clubs9:Vålerenga
Caps9:6
Goals9:0
Years10:2012
Clubs10:Stabæk (loan)
Caps10:5
Goals10:0
Years11:2013–2014
Clubs11:Bodø/Glimt
Caps11:56
Goals11:30
Years12:2015
Caps12:30
Goals12:8
Years13:2016–2020
Clubs13:Yokohama FC
Caps13:158
Goals13:78
Years14:2020–2022
Clubs14:Omiya Ardija
Caps14:35
Goals14:4
Years15:2022–2024
Clubs15:Lyn
Caps15:35
Goals15:15
Nationalyears1:2011–2015
Nationalcaps1:20
Nationalgoals1:19
Club-Update:31 July 2024

Abdurahim Laajab (born 21 May 1985), commonly known as Ibba Laajab (イバ), is a former professional footballer. Ibba also plays futsal. Born in Morocco, he holds Norwegian citizenship and is one of the key players in the Norway futsal team.

Laajab grew up in Norway and played eight seasons in the Norwegian First Division with Skeid, Notodden, Mjøndalen and Strømmen before he signed with Tippeligaen-side Vålerenga in 2012. After spending the second half of the 2012 season on loan with Stabæk, Ibba joined Bodø/Glimt ahead of the 2013 season.

After two successful campaigns with the Norwegian side he got a transfer to Chinese League One side Hebei China Fortune. After a year there he moved the J2 League side Yokohama FC and has so far enjoyed great success there.

Football career

Ibba was born to Moroccan parents and moved to Norway when he was one month old.[1] He played at Vålerenga and Moss during his youth,[2] and later joined Skeid because his friends were playing there.[3] At Skeid he was teammate with Moa, Mos, Birger Madsen and Dawda Leigh.[1]

Ibba didn't get too much playing time with Skeid, but during the second half of the 2004-season he played 248 minutes in nine matches in the First Division and scored two goals. Ahead of the 2005-season, Ibba and his teammate Moa joined Rosenborg BK on their pre-season tour to La Manga Club.[4] Ibba was sent on a short loan-spell to Drøbak-Frogn in 2005,[2] and left Skeid after the season and signed a one-year contract with Sørumsand which had been relegated from the Third Division.[5]

Before he played a match for Sørumsand, Ibba moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach[5] where Jørn Andersen was the assistant coach. Ibba and Andersen communicated with each other in Norwegian. A year later Andersen was fired together with the head coach, and the new coach only talked to Ibba in German, a language Ibba did not try to learn, and eventually Ibba requested to terminate his contract and moved home to Norway.[1] He only played one match for Borussia Mönchengladbach II.

In 2007 Ibba was back in Skeid, before he signed a contract with Notodden ahead of the 2008-season.[6] Ibba played regularly in the first-team until head coach Jan Halvor Halvorsen was fired halfway through the 2009-season. The new coach, Arne Sandstø placed him on the bench and Ibba left the club after the season. Ahead of the 2010-season, Ibba was on a trial with the Spanish second-tier club Elche and was offered a contract there, but Ibba rejected the offer and decided to move to Mjøndalen instead.[1] Mjøndalen's coach Vegard Hansen stated that Ibba was a risky signing due to his poor reputation, but that the 24-year had such an unredeemed potential that he couldn't ignore him.[7]

Ibba played for Strømmen in 2011, where he scored seven goals in 24 matches in the First Division,[8] and ahead of the 2012-season he signed for Vålerenga.[3] [9] After Ibba's transfer to Vålerenga, his former teammate from Skeid and former Vålerenga-player, Moa, said in an interview with Norwegian TV2 that the supporters of Vålerenga should be excited about their new signing and dubbed Ibba as one of the best newcomers of the 2012 Tippeligaen.[10] Ibba made his first-team debut for Vålerenga in the friendly match against the Second Division-side Nesodden on 11 January 2012.[11] After playing six matches for Vålerenga in Tippeligaen, Ibba was loaned out to Stabæk in August 2012 for the rest of the season.[12]

Ibba joined Bodø/Glimt ahead of the 2013 season, where he was reunited with his coach from Notodden, Jan Halvor Halvorsen.[13] Ibba signed a three-year contract with Bodø/Glimt.[14]

On 25 February 2015, Ibba transferred to China League One side Hebei China Fortune.[15]

On 25 August 2022, he signed for Lyn.[16] On 11th November 2023 he scored his first hat-trick for Lyn, coming off the bench and scoring three goals in 20 minutes in a 10-1 win against Fram Larvik.

Futsal career

Ibba is known as one of the biggest futsal-stars in Norway.[3] [8] [9] In his debut for the Norwegian futsal team, he scored three goals when Norway won 7–2 against Malta on 13 January 2011.[17] The next day he again scored three goals against Malta, before he scored another hat-trick when Norway won against Israel in the qualifying match for the 2012 UEFA Futsal Championship on 20 January, which made a total of nine goals in his first three matches for Norway.[18]

Ahead of the qualifying match against Spain on 15 December 2011, Norway's national team coach Esten O. Sæther called Ibba a "top international futsal player", and that if their chances against Spain was depending on Ibba's performance and that he had to play at his very best.[19] Three days later, Ibba scored the goal that secured a 3–3 draw against Belgium and sent Norway to the playoff round of the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifier.[9]

Style of play

Laajab has a good physique, a good temperament and good one-on-one skills and has a great breakthrough force.[20]

Career statistics

[21]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Skeid20031. divisjon100010
20041. divisjon920092
20051. divisjon800080
Total18200182
Skeid20071. divisjon16110171
Notodden20081. divisjon24800248
20091. divisjon19210202
Total4310104410
Mjøndalen20101. divisjon279313010
Strømmen20111. divisjon24721268
Vålerenga2012Eliteserien602181
Stabæk (loan)2012Eliteserien500050
20131. divisjon2617322919
2014Eliteserien3013303313
Total5630626232
2015China League One30810318
2016J2 League4018114119
2017J2 League4125004125
2018J2 League4017004017
2019J2 League3618003618
2020J1 League102030
Total158783116179
Omiya Ardija2020J2 League13100131
2021J2 League22300223
Total35400354
Lyn20223. divisjon950095
20232. divisjon16920189
20241. divisjon10120121
Total3515403915
Career total434158216463164

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sikter mot Tippeligaen . no . Aims for the Tippeliga . . 3 April 2010 . 9 January 2012.
  2. Web site: Abdurahim Laajab . no . altomfotball.no . 9 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140413154923/http://www.tv2sporten.no/jsport/aof/element.do?cmd=player&personId=84602 . 13 April 2014.
  3. Web site: Futsal-stjernen "Ibba" har signert for Vålerenga . no . Futsal star signs with Vålerenga . . 6 January 2012 . 9 January 2012.
  4. Web site: "Ibba" erstattet Madsen . no . RBKweb.no . 29 January 2005 . 9 July 2012.
  5. Web site: Fra Sørumsand til tysk storklubb . no . From Sørumsand to big German club . . 3 February 2006 . 9 January 2012.
  6. Web site: Ibba signerte – Notodden tapte . no . ta.no . Telemarksavisa . 1 February 2008 . 9 July 2012.
  7. Web site: Abdurahim Laajaab signerte med MIF . no . Drammens Tidende . 25 January 2010 . 9 July 2012.
  8. Web site: Vålerenga signerte "futsalstjerne" . no . Futsal star signed with Vålerenga . . 6 January 2012 . 9 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220195332/http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotball/article3306470.ece . 20 December 2013 . dead .
  9. Web site: VIF-Andresen signerte futsal-stjerne . no . Andresen signed futsal star . . . 6 January 2012 . 9 January 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120114010444/http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article218665.ece . 14 January 2012.
  10. Web site: Moa: – Ingen andre kan det Ibba kan! . no . Moa: – No one else can do what Ibba does! . . 8 March 2012 . 4 July 2012.
  11. Web site: Ibba får sin VIF-debut . no . tv2.no . . 11 January 2012 . 9 July 2012.
  12. Web site: VIF signerte kanadisk landslagsspiller . no . Nettavisen . Kaja Marie . Snare . 31 August 2012 . 27 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120831204244/http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotball/article3463688.ece . 31 August 2012 . dead .
  13. Web site: Halvorsen henter Ibba til Glimt . no . Telen . Knut Henning . Slettemo . 11 February 2013 . 11 February 2013.
  14. Web site: "Ibba" forlater Vålerenga . no . Nettavisen . Andreas Kristoffer . Berge . 11 February 2013 . 11 February 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220195426/http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotball/article3568952.ece . 20 December 2013 . dead .
  15. http://sports.sohu.com/20150225/n409155698.shtml 河北华夏幸福签约挪威中锋
  16. Web site: Ibba!. Lyn 1896. 25 August 2022. 25 August 2022. no.
  17. Web site: "Ibba" lekte inn tre mål i debuten for Norge . no . Ibba easily scored three goals in his national team debut . . 14 January 2011. 9 January 2012.
  18. Web site: "Ibba" har gjort tre hattrick på sine tre landskamper . no . Dagbladet . 21 January 2011. 9 July 2012.
  19. Web site: Landslagssjefen om "Ibba": – Han er på et internasjonalt toppnivå . no . National team manager about "Ibba": "He is at a top international level" . . 15 December 2011 . 9 January 2012.
  20. Web site: Style of playing . no . vif-fotball.no . 6 April 2012 . 6 April 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120510155342/http://www.vif-fotball.no/article3350120.ece . 10 May 2012 .
  21. Web site: Ibba Laajab. altomfotball.no. TV 2. 2 June 2019. no.