Michael Olusoji Ogungbaro

Two promotions to the Finnish top flight, two years apart, with two different clubs – that is the record Michael Ogungbaro has built since arriving in Finland in 2020.

The first came with KTP of Kotka. Ogungbaro joined the club on a free transfer in 2020 and stayed until 2023. In 2022 KTP won the Ykkönen, the Finnish second division, and went up. Two years later he moved to FF Jaro, again on a free transfer, and the pattern repeated: Jaro finished as runners-up in the Ykkösliiga in 2024, which earned them a place in the Veikkausliiga.

His route to Finland was a long one. He started out at FC Edebei in Nigeria before joining the academy of FC Midtjylland in Denmark, where he won the Danish Youth Championship at under-19 level. His first senior contract came in Norway with FK Jerv in 2016, after he left Midtjylland on a free transfer.

Norway remained his base for several years. After 2017 at Jerv he moved to IK Start, and during his time there he was loaned to Åsane in 2018 and back to Jerv in 2019. That same year he went to Slovenia to join NK Bravo, where he stayed until 2020.

He has not played for Nigeria at senior or youth level, and his honours are those of his clubs rather than individual awards: the Danish under-19 title and the two Finnish promotions.