By Dayo Awoniyi
South African Premier Division side TS Galaxy have officially secured the services of Nigerian international goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, completing a two-year deal ahead of the ongoing DStv Premiership campaign.
The 22-year-old joins “The Rockets” from Remo Stars, the reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, where he enjoyed a standout five-year spell.
During his time with the Sky Blue Stars, Bankole made 93 appearances and recorded 43 clean sheets, establishing himself as one of the league’s most reliable goalkeepers.
Bankole earned his senior debut for the Super Eagles in 2022, and his consistent domestic performances have since drawn interest from several top NPFL clubs.
However, he opted for a move abroad in a bid to accelerate his professional development.
TS Galaxy, based in Mpumalanga, believe Bankole’s arrival will inject crucial depth and stability between the posts as the club looks to climb the DStv Premiership standings this season.
“Kayode is a young goalkeeper with strong potential and valuable experience from the Nigerian topflight. We’re confident he’ll add strength to our defensive unit,” a club statement read.
Bankole becomes one of a growing list of Nigerian talents making the leap to the South African top tier, as TS Galaxy aim to bolster their squad for a competitive domestic and continental campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
