Ayila Yussuf


Atanda Ayila Yussuf is a professional Nigerian football player. His main asset is his versatility, as he can play as a central defender or defensive midfielder. He played for Ukrainian Premier League side Metalist Kharkiv on loan from FC Dynamo Kyiv. A former Nigerian youth international player, Yussuf was acquired by Dynamo from Nigerian side Union Bank F.C. in 2003. Despite injuries, Yussuf has become a regular for both Dynamo Kyiv and the Nigerian national team.

Club career

At 16 years of age, Yussuf signed his first professional contract with Enyimba International F.C. He then continued his career with Union Bank F.C. His selection in senior teams drew the attention of the youth national team coaches.

FC Dynamo Kyiv

After drawing interest from clubs like PSV Eindhoven and VfB Stuttgart, Yussuf signed with FC Dynamo Kyiv in July 2003. On 5 August, he made his debut in the club's reserve team, FC Dynamo-2 Kyiv, against FC Polissya Zhytomyr. Less than two months later, on 21 September, Yussef made his senior team debut against FC Zirka Kirovohrad. A serious knee injury ended his 2003-2004 season. On 16 September 2004, he made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League for FC Dynamo Kyiv in a match against A.S. Roma.
Since the second half of the 2011–12 season, Yussuf has struggled to maintain a place in the first team and was loaned to Turkish Süper Lig side Orduspor on 31 January 2013. After a loan spell in Turkey, he still had not regained a first-team spot and played for the reserve team of Dynamo Kyiv, Dynamo-2 Kyiv. On 18 February 2014, he joined league rivals Metalist Kharkiv on a loan deal until the end of the year.

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