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Nigerian youngster Zadok Yohanna made his first appearance for Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday as Fabian Hürzeler’s side secured a 3-0 pre-season victory over AS Roma at the American Express Stadium.
The 19-year-old winger came off the bench to make his unofficial debut following his move from Swedish club AIK earlier this summer.
Yohanna begins Brighton adventure
Yohanna joined Brighton after an impressive spell in Sweden, where he scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 senior appearances for AIK across all competitions.
He had also made an impressive start to the current Allsvenskan campaign, registering two goals and three assists in his first seven league appearances before securing his move to England.
Brighton reportedly paid €28 million for the Nigerian, with a further €2m potentially due in performance-related bonuses. The transfer made Yohanna the most expensive player ever sold by a Swedish club.
The teenager has signed a contract running until June 2031 and will now look to establish himself within Hürzeler’s squad.
Brighton cruise past Roma
Brighton dominated the friendly and took the lead in the 29th minute through Georginio Rutter.
The French forward produced an excellent finish from around 20 yards to put the Premier League side ahead.
Yasin Ayari then took centre stage, scoring twice to complete a comfortable victory for the Seagulls. The Swedish midfielder struck before the break before adding his second after half-time.
Hürzeler used 21 players during the contest, giving several members of his squad valuable minutes as preparations for the new season continue.
For Yohanna, his brief appearance represents another important step in a rapid rise that began at Ikon Allah Football Academy in Nigeria.
He moved to Sweden in 2025 and quickly progressed into AIK’s senior team before attracting interest from several European clubs.