OUR LEGENDS CORNER: Dawda Bah

Dawda Bah born on 12 November 1983 in Banjul the Gambia, is a former professional footballer who played as a winger. A very creative and agile winger and could play a strikers role. Dawda spent most of his professional career in Finland. He was dubbed the Gambian Zidane due to his mass talent, creativity and sly maneuvers.

He started his senior career with the Banjul Hawks in 2002 and spent three year with the Banjul based red devils (Hawks). 2005 saw him venture into Europe plying his trade with then Finnish second tier club KPV in 2005. KPV is a Finnish professional football club currently playing in the Finnish Premier Division (Veikkausliiga).

He spent a season with KPV, making 49 league appearance and scoring 27 goals. He became a key player for the second tier club, and was the top scorer of the division.

However, in 2006 Dawda stayed in Kokkola for the following season despite been offered a deal by Belarusian club MTZ-RIPO Minsk, a bid of €200,000, an offer which he declined. He also had a tests with the Norwegian Odd Grenland, but did not get a contract offer.  In January 2007, he went on trials with an Algerian club USM Blida, but the clubs did not come to terms on the transfer fee.

In 2007 Dawda started the season with KPV but did not continue with them as he headed to Helsinki to join a Veikkausliiga club HJK on a season-long loan, HJK, is a professional football club based in Helsinki, Finland. Playing in the Finnish premier league.He made his debut in a UEFA Cup match against FC Etzella of Luxembourg, and scored a goal. Dawda made 101 appearance and scoring 19 goal , HJK offered him a three years contract after he saw the loan deal through. He left the club in 2011.

In 2009 Bah was one of the most important features in the Finnish title winning side HJK, scoring eight goals and assisting eight times in 25 league games. In 2010, Bah continued showing his importance for HJK Helsinki, both in the Finnish league and the Champions League qualifications. Due to his good performances he was given a two-year extension to his current contract on 2 September 2010. His new contract ran until 2012.

After 4 years with HJK, He switched to a Bundesliga club, FC Augsburg in 2011 on a three years deal. Unfortunately He appeared once for the club as He suffered a bad knee injury in the early stages of his Augsburg career.

In 2018 he was taken by KuPS, is a Finnish football club, based in the city of Finland, making 24 appearances and scoring 5 goals. In 2014 moved to MYPA, a Finnish football club and made 27 appearances and scoring 4 goals.

Dawda was offered a second spell with KPV IN 2015,making 36 appearances and scoring 4 goals that season . In 2018, Bah joined Cosmopolitan Soccer League team Lansdowne Yonkers FC.

Dawda is capped 11 times scoring twice for country, his First cap was Gambia vs Morocco in 09/04/2000 and he continued to wear the national jersey till 2011.

Dawda is three times Finnish champions. in 2009,2010,2011 and two times Finnish cup champions. in 2008,2011.

Photo credit: Dawda facebook account