Nigerian teenage winger Zadok Yohanna made his long awaited Brighton & Hove Albion debut as the Seagulls defeated AS Roma 3-0 in a pre season friendly at the American Express Stadium.
The 18 year old came on in the 60th minute for Diego Gomez as Brighton continued their impressive run of results ahead of the new Premier League season.
Yohanna finished the game with 21 touches and completed nine of his 12 passes. He also recorded one blocked shot and won three of his seven ground duels during his first appearance for the club.
Yohanna makes first Brighton appearance
Yasin Ayari produced a performance that brought back World Cup memories, scoring twice as Brighton maintained their strong pre season form.
The Sweden midfielder found the net in both halves, while Georginio Rutter opened the scoring as Brighton comfortably saw off the Italian giants.
Rutter’s early strike gave Brighton control before Ayari added a second with a crisp right foot finish. He then completed his brace after the break to seal an impressive 3-0 victory.
Brighton have now scored 11 goals across their last three pre season outings. They followed a 4-0 win over Wycombe with another four goals across 120 minutes against Strasbourg in Vienna.
For Yohanna, the appearance marked the next step in his rapid rise. Brighton signed the Nigerian winger from AIK Stockholm in June for a reported £21.5m.
The teenager agreed a five year contract with the Seagulls after making a strong impression in Sweden.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has high expectations for the young forward and believes his attacking qualities can make a difference.
“I’m looking forward to working with Zadok,” said Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler. “Having seen his games and his attributes, he is a player that can impact games in the final third.
“He’s still young, and will need time to adapt to the club and Premier League, but he’s an exciting player to watch and he brings the kind of creativity we know our fans will enjoy.”
Yohanna began his football journey with the Ikon Allah Football Academy in Nigeria before moving to AIK Stockholm.
He joined the Swedish club and quickly established himself as an exciting attacking talent. Since making his AIK debut in August 2025, he has scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 appearances.
His move to Brighton now gives him the chance to develop his game in the Premier League.
Although his debut came during pre season, Yohanna will hope the outing helps him earn more minutes as Brighton prepare for the competitive campaign.
The victory over Roma also gives Hurzeler plenty of encouragement, with Brighton showing attacking quality while Yohanna gained valuable experience with his new teammates.
For the Nigerian youngster, however, the biggest moment came with his first appearance in Brighton colours. His next target will be turning that debut into a regular role with the Seagulls.
