A standout season for Blessed Stars Academy has earned young left back Emmanuel Samuel his first taste of professional football in Europe.
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Nigerian left back Emmanuel Samuel has completed a move to Albanian top-flight club FK Laci from Blessed Stars Academy.
Samuel was one of the standout performers for Blessed Stars Academy during the 2025/26 Nigeria Local Organisation (NLO) season, featuring in every match as the club narrowly missed out on a place in the promotion play offs. His dribbling, pace and creativity from the back marked him out as one of the exciting young defenders to watch, drawing interest from several clubs before FK Laci won the race for his signature.
A New Challenge In Albania
Blessed Stars Academy confirmed the transfer on their social media pages, calling it another important step forward in Samuel’s football journey and a well deserved opportunity to compete at the professional level. The club wished him well as he begins this new chapter of his career.
Straight Into A Promotion-Winning Squad
FK Laci, based in the town of Laç, are returning to Albania’s Kategoria Superiore after winning last season’s second tier title with 79 points, finishing two points clear of Skenderbeu. The club’s top flight return begins this Saturday, 22 August, against Elbasani, under North Macedonian coach Qatip Osmani, who took charge ahead of the new season. For Samuel, the move offers a rare chance to begin his European career inside a newly promoted squad with genuine momentum behind it.
📌 Did You Know?
- FK Laci, officially Klubi i Futbollit Laci, was founded in 1960 and plays its home matches at Laci Stadium.
- The club’s promotion-winning campaign in the Kategoria e Pare last season was its most recent route back to Albania’s top flight.
- Samuel’s move continues a growing pathway of Nigerian domestic league talent finding opportunities in smaller, less heavily scouted European leagues.
- The Nigeria Local Organisation (NLO), where Samuel made his name, serves as a competitive pathway below the NPFL and NNL for developing players.
- FK Laci’s head coach, Qatip Osmani, is a 57-year-old North Macedonian who only took charge of the club ahead of this new season.
