The 18-year-old used to wake up at 4am to help the family business and now he has an exciting future in Pep Guardiola's defence
Most of Manchester City's best youth prospects spend their childhoods playing on pristine pitches, eating the best food and working with the best coaches in the business at the world-class City Football Academy. But City's latest exciting young talent had quite a different upbringing to that of his future team-mates. Abdulai Juma Bah would wake up at four in the morning in Sierra Leone to deliver wood to power the oven of his family's bakery. On other days he would help his mother grind up chicken and fish and help her sell it on the streets.
He didn't play football on 4G astroturf pitches or swish indoor facilities but on muddy, stony streets of his neighbourhood Congo Market and the conditions were not much better when he started playing for professional clubs. But the 6'5 centre-back stood out as a diamond in the rough and has an exciting future mapped out for him.
He became the first player from Sierra Leone to play in La Liga after a bright if short-lived spell with Real Valladolid and is now plying his trade in Ligue 1 with Lens. But bigger things await after he signed for City in January, sparking a bitter feud between the Premier League champions and the Spanish side, who were left feeling sore after losing one of the hottest young centre-backs in the game.
GOAL profiles the dough boy turned dominating defender who is hoping to impose himself on Pep Guardiola's backline…
Where it all began
Juma Bah grew up in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown and from a young age he learned the value of hard work, helping his father Abdul Karim in his bakery and his mother in the kitchen. "At 4am I carried wood, because my father usually bakes early in the morning," "I would say he has the best bread in the world. I used to carry the bread to people's shops. My mum used to sell chicken balls on the street. I would usually help pound the meat and after she took it to sell to people. I'm really happy to help my family."
When he wasn't working or at school, Bah would be playing football on the street, often with boys bigger and older than him. Local agent Chernor Musa Jalloh first noticed him when he was playing for local club Giant Freetown Academy against AIK Freetong on a dusty and rocky pitch. Jalloh was impressed by his size, movement, control and passing, which reminded him of Paul Pogba.
He told AIK Freetong to sign him up the very next day and a deal was completed in April 2021, just before his 15th birthday. Bah did not spend long at Freetong as he was loaned out to Freetonian SLIFA in the Sierra Leone Premier League.
AdvertisementGettyThe big break
After two years in his country's top flight Bah came to the attention of Real Valladolid when Patrick Mork, a colleague of Jalloh's, recommended him to the Spanish club's chief scout Pachu Martinez. Juma ran into problems just after learning of Valladolid's interest in signing him as he had trouble securing a visa in the Spanish embassy. However, a security guard at the embassy, who happened to be from Valladolid and a supporter of the club, helped him solve the problems and Bah signed for the La Liga outfit on loan in August 2024.
Bah was initially placed in the club's B team given his age. But he played just one game and six days later he was drafted into the first team and thrusted into the starting line-up against Real Sociedad. He helped his side earn a creditable goalless draw, although he had to be substituted late on after succumbing to muscle cramp.
Then-coach Paulo Pezzolano sang his praises after the game. He said: "He had a spectacular debut and I'm very happy. He's a boy who has been training with us for the last two weeks and who we've been watching closely. I saw that he was ready and that it was the right moment for him and we needed support in this area."
Bah also has fond memories of his debut, which his mother Umu watched back in Sierra Leone with the extended family. He told the : "It was amazing, the best day for me. I was so emotional in the dressing room and then the board came up [saying] I was going to start. When I went out I saw a lot of people in the stadium. I'd never seen this crowd before. I would always tell my mum that one day I was going to make her proud. Her watching me on the TV when I play was a blessing."
Bah went on to start 10 of Valladolid's next 12 games until his unexpected and controversial departure to City. Valladolid struggled and conceded 25 goals in those games, earning 11 points. As well as his debut against Real Sociedad, Bah stood out in a 1-0 win against Valencia. He was named Player of the Match and preserved all three points for his side by clearing a shot off the line deep in added time. But Bah's real impact can be seen in Valladolid's fortunes since he departed: they have taken just one point in seven games while conceding 23 goals.
How it's going
Bah's dream start to life with Valladolid came to a sudden and acrimonious end when, five days after playing in a 2-1 defeat at Espanyol, the player turned up at the headquarters of La Liga in Madrid and deposited his €6m (£5m/£6.5m) release clause to allow him to leave the Spanish club and join City permanently. Valladolid, who said they had moved to sign him permanently on January 1, were furious with the manner of his departure.
"The player’s intention, supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent, has caused great disappointment and indignation within Real Valladolid, who welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime," read a statement from the club which also threatened legal action against City. The Premier League side, however, have not heard any more developments about the legal action and are not expecting there to be any as they consider the deal to be no different to previous transfers from Spanish clubs.
Bah was immediately loaned to Lens, who had just sold Abdukodir Khusanov to City, although the deal was unrelated to the £34m ($44m) move for the Uzbekistan international. He has made three appearances for Lens in Ligue 1 and completed 90 minutes in their surprise 1-0 win at Marseille last week, helping shut down Mason Greenwood when he came off the bench in the second half.
Getty Biggest strengths
Bah is a perfect height for a centre-back, measuring at 6'5, making him the same stature as Virgil van Dijk and marginally taller than Erling Haaland. He has considerable strength too, frequently out-muscling opponents.
Sierra Leone manager Mohamed Kallon highlighted his technical ability over his physical attributes. "Technically, he's a really good player," Kallon told . "He can secure and protect the ball, and [he has] a good passing range. He can duel very well, dribble in tight spaces and can construct the game. That's the main qualities of a central defender."
Bah's agent Mork told Spanish news agency : "He's special, a very complete centre-back. He's big, with a fantastic physique, he's good at passing, he's quick and he has a good mentality. He's a jewel with many qualities."
Bah displayed his array of qualities in his recent performance for Lens against Marseille: he made 12 clearances, five ball recoveries and won two out of three tackles attempted. He was also a big presence in aerial duels and showed real confidence on the ball, calmly dribbling and protecting it in the face of pressure from two or more opponents before finding a team-mate and keeping possession.