The story of Jelil Kamaldeen is that of someone who dares to be different and choose to chart a new course of destiny for himself.
Not short of role models or privileges, Jelil, who is a grandson to the first Grand Mufti of Ilorin, Sheikh Muhammed Kamaldeen Al-Adaby, is a Nigerian promising footballer who decided to choose football as a career despite his background in Islamic teachings propagation.
His grandfather is regarded to be one of the greatest Islamic preachers and scholars in Nigeria and widely revered for his pioneering efforts and contributions to the development of Islamic teachings and Arabic training. His disciples are often called Adabbiyah, a name that drew its essence from the origin of Sheikh Kamaldeen’s teacher, Sheikh Tajul Adab.
Speaking to journalists after his team, Kwara Football Academy won the inaugural edition of the Pro Route League on Sunday, Jelil disclosed that his ultimate target is to win World Cup for Nigeria and play a the top level of football.
Giving the intrinsic leanings of his family to Islamic propagation, Jelil said his foray into football has been quite difficult, but the earliest support from his mother has propelled him toward his dream.
He said, “Dreaming and playing football was very difficult for me at the very beginning, but my mother is the only one who has supported me from the very beginning. She told me that mo matter where you are from, you can do whatever you want. ”
For his prospects, Jelil further stated that he’s now beginning to get more support. “It’s a little bit easy now because they have been seeing the results, and I now have more people that support me apart from my mother.”
A sleeky and diminutive midfielder with goalscoring ability, Jelil, who has grown through the rank of Kwara Football Academy, stands out amongst his peers, and his outstanding performance has been instrumental to his team’s success.
He also attributed that his background in Islamic knowledge has always helped him in playing football, noting that “Anytime I want to play football, I used to pray and read Quran and that has always given me the confidence of perfoming well”
Apart from helping his side to a 3-0 win over Barrier FA in their last league game on Sunday, the result, which later earned them the league, Jelil was voted the Man of the Match in the game following impressive performance.
“I am very happy for winning this trophy. It’s important to me and the team, ” said Jelil, who stated that winning the title was a culmination of a hard work and commitment from the team.
The young midfielder whose dream is already taking shape has just returned from a trial abroad is due to travel back to finalise a deal that will see him sign with a European club.
“My dream is to play in Europe,win the UEFA champions league, and World Cup for Nigeria,” he stated
