TheCable

Karim Adeyemi, the German-Nigerian striker, has credited his speed to nutrients obtained from eating Nigerian food and genes from his father. 

Adeyemi spoke after Borrusia Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the UCL second-round clash on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old scored the only goal of the game with a solo finish that saw him collect the ball in his team’s half before blitzing past Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez and rounding up Kepa Arizabalaga to slot into an empty net.

It was a fast-paced goal which had him sprinting 70 yards — from one end of the pitch to the other — in flashy seconds.

Speaking of the goal, Adeyemi said he knew running beyond the defender was the only option and was able to achieve it with the quickness that fufu — a Nigerian food made from cassava paste — has afforded him.

“I eat a lot of African food but I have good genetics from my day, so I think it’s a little difficult for you to get,” he said.

“It’s called fufu from Nigeria and also very good.

“The only thing was to get past a defender and at the end, I just had to run to try to get past him.”

Adeyemi was born in German to a Romanian mother and Abbey, a Nigerian father who hailed from Ibadan, Oyo.

Although he is qualified to play for Nigeria, Adeyemi pledged allegiance to his country of birth in 2021 and scored on his debut.

He joined Dortmund in 2022 as a replacement for Erling Haaland, who moved to Manchester City.

Photo credit: Cathrin Muller/MIS/Imago