With the African Cup of Nations kicking off this week, NTOF will be looking at some of the most interesting African players to grace Scottish football. Next on the list is the ‘Gambian Roberto Carlos’ Pa Kujabi.
Roberto Carlos achieved everything you could hope for in the game. Three-time European champion, a World Cup winner and a member of Brazilian football’s Hall of Fame. There can be no greater disservice to the calibre of player he was than comparing him to Pa Kujabi.
Kujabi was honking at Hibs
Kujabi was picked up by Hibernian in January 2012 after a successful trial period, despite having not played since 2010 for FSV Frankfurt. An utterly woeful footballer, as is reflected in the clubs, outside of Hibs, that he’s represented.
To say he’s more fondly remembered by Hearts fans than Hibs fans is not an exaggeration. He’s notoriously known for being sent off in the 2012 Scottish Cup Final. With Danny Grainger scoring the resulting penalty, that all but ended the game as a contest.
The Jambos made the most of their numerical advantage and battered the Hibees 5-1 to lift their eighth, and most recent, Scottish Cup. Hibs’ quest to lift the premier national trophy continued but they’d end the 114 year wait in 2016 under Alan Stubbs.
Terrible player transfer listed
The following season, he made just one appearance for the Hibees in a 2-0 defeat to Queen of the South in the Scottish League Cup. After being made available for transfer in January 2013, he left following the expiry of his Hibs contract.
Had Hibs have won that day, Kujabi may well have earned himself legendary status. Instead following his final display, and many other horrific ones, Hibs fans couldn’t care less about what happens to the ‘Gambian Roberto Carlos’.
Beyond baffling
Supposedly before his stint in the Scottish capital, Tottenham and QPR were interested in taking Kujabi on trial. Safe to say that Spurs, in particular, dodged a bullet there.
You need only look at their progress under Mauricio Pochettino to confirm the reputation they now carry. Would they have made last season’s Champions League final with Pa Kujabi at left back? Definitely not.