Thomas Sowunmi

Who is Thomas Sowunmi?

Thomas Sowunmi is a Hungarian international footballer.

Sowunmi was born in Nigeria to a Hungarian mother and a Nigerian father and spent the first nine years of his life in the African state. He started playing football aged 13 and began a professional football career with Dunaferr.

Sowunmi left for Vasas Budapest in 1998 but returned to his first club in 2001. He made his first appearance for Hungary in August 1999, in a 1–1 draw against Moldova. Sowunmi was the first person of color to represent Hungary at football. He spent a short spell in France with AC Ajaccio but returned to Hungary with Ferencvaros in 2003. He was signed by FC Slovacko in 2005 but after one season became involved in a dispute with the club. Eventually he was released from his attachment to the Czech team following police and FIFA intervention.

Sowunmi signed for Scottish club Hibernian on 6 February 2007 after impressing manager John Collins while on trial. In just his second match he came on as a half-time substitute in a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie at Queen of the South and scored the decisive goal in a 2–1 win.