By Olaleye Oluwadamilola
Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade have completed the signing of Nigerian defender Franklin Tebo Uchenna from Norwegian club Sarpsborg 08.
The 24-year-old centre-back has signed a three-year contract with an option for a one-year extension. He will wear the number 30 shirt at his new club and is set to join fellow Nigerian international Peter Olayinka in Belgrade.
Tebo began his professional career with Nasarawa United in the Nigeria Professional Football League before moving to Europe, where he first made his mark with Swedish outfit BK Häcken.
In 2023, he joined Sarpsborg 08 and quickly established himself as a key player. During his time in Norway, he made 60 appearances and scored five goals.
Red Star are expected to count on Tebo’s defensive solidity and aerial strength as they prepare for domestic and European campaigns in the 2025/26 season.
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.
