By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigerian winger Ishaq Rafiu has signed a two-year contract extension with Slovenian club ND Primorje Ajdovščina, committing his future to the team through the 2026–27 season.
The former Rivers United forward initially struggled to adapt after moving to Slovenia but has since become a regular starter and an influential figure in the squad.
Speaking on his decision to extend his stay, Rafiu expressed his satisfaction with life at the club, stating he feels “great in our valley,” a reference to the town of Ajdovščina, which he now calls home.
Rafiu earned his senior debut for Nigeria in a friendly against Mexico in 2024 and continues to harbor ambitions of breaking into a more competitive European league.
He also remains determined to return to the Super Eagles setup with more consistent performances at club level.
With the extension in place, Rafiu will look to build on his progress in Slovenia and further his professional and international aspirations.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
