1. Overview
Abdurahim Laajab (born 21 May 1985), widely known as Ibba Laajab (イバIbaJapanese), is a Norwegian former professional footballer and a prominent futsal player. Born in Morocco, he immigrated to Norway at one month old and holds Norwegian citizenship. Laajab is particularly recognized for his impactful career as a forward in the J2 League with Yokohama FC, where he earned the top scorer title in 2017 and became the club's all-time leading scorer. He also had notable spells in the Norwegian First Division, China League One, and represented the Norway national futsal team as a key player.
2. Early life and background
Ibba Laajab's personal background is rooted in his Moroccan heritage and his upbringing in Norway.
2.1. Childhood and upbringing
Born in Morocco on 21 May 1985, Abdurahim Laajab moved to Norway when he was just one month old, growing up in the country. He started his youth football career at Vålerenga Fotball and Moss FK. He later joined Skeid Fotball because his friends were playing there, where he was teammates with notable players such as Mohammed Abdellaoue, Mustafa Abdellaoue, Birger Madsen, and Dawda Leigh.
3. Club career
Ibba Laajab's professional football journey spans various leagues and clubs across Norway, Germany, China, and Japan, showcasing his consistent goal-scoring ability.
3.1. Youth and early career in Norway
Initially, Laajab had limited playing time at Skeid Fotball. During the latter half of the 2004 season, he began to see more action, playing 248 minutes across nine matches in the Norwegian First Division and scoring two goals. At the start of the 2005 season, he joined his teammate Mohammed Abdellaoue on Rosenborg BK's pre-season tour in La Manga Club. In 2005, Laajab was sent on a short loan spell to Drøbak-Frogn IL. After leaving Skeid, he signed a one-year contract with Sørumsand IF, a club that had been relegated from the Norwegian Third Division.
3.2. Brief spell in Germany
Before playing a match for Sørumsand IF, Laajab moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2006, where Jørn Andersen served as the assistant coach. Laajab and Andersen communicated in Norwegian. However, a year later, Andersen and the head coach were dismissed. The new coach communicated only in German, a language Laajab did not attempt to learn, leading to communication difficulties. Eventually, Laajab requested to terminate his contract and returned to Norway. During his time in Germany, he played only one match for Borussia Mönchengladbach II.
3.3. Professional breakthrough in Norway
In 2007, Ibba Laajab returned to Skeid Fotball. Ahead of the 2008 season, he signed with Notodden FK. Under head coach Jan Halvor Halvorsen, Laajab became a regular starter. However, when Halvorsen was fired midway through the 2009 season and Arne Sandstø took over, Laajab was frequently placed on the bench, leading to his departure from the club at the end of the season.
At the beginning of the 2010 season, Laajab underwent a trial with Spanish second-tier club Elche CF and was offered a contract. Despite the offer, he chose to join Mjøndalen IF instead. Mjøndalen's coach, Vegard Hansen, acknowledged Laajab as a "risky signing" due to his perceived poor reputation but stated that his untapped potential was too significant to ignore.
In 2011, Laajab played for Strømmen IF, where he scored seven goals in 24 matches in the Norwegian First Division. Ahead of the 2012 season, he signed with Vålerenga Fotball. Following his transfer, Mohammed Abdellaoue, a former teammate from Skeid and a former Vålerenga player, praised Laajab, stating that Vålerenga supporters should be excited and labeling him as one of the best newcomers of the 2012 Tippeligaen season. Laajab made his first-team debut for Vålerenga in a friendly match against Nesodden IF on 11 January 2012. After playing six matches for Vålerenga in the Tippeligaen, he was loaned to Stabæk Fotball in August 2012 for the remainder of the season, where he made five appearances.
Laajab joined FK Bodø/Glimt before the 2013 season, reuniting with his former coach from Notodden, Jan Halvor Halvorsen. He signed a three-year contract with Bodø/Glimt. During his time there, he became a crucial player, scoring 17 goals in 26 appearances in 2013 and 13 goals in 30 appearances in 2014, contributing significantly to the team's success.
3.4. Hebei China Fortune
On 25 February 2015, Ibba Laajab made a move to Asia, transferring to Chinese League One side Hebei China Fortune. He played 30 matches and scored 8 goals for the club during the 2015 China League One season.
3.5. J.League career
After his spell in China, Ibba Laajab transitioned to Japan's J.League, where he achieved significant success, particularly with Yokohama FC.
3.5.1. Yokohama FC
Ibba Laajab joined Yokohama FC in the J2 League in March 2016. He quickly established himself as a key player and the team's ace. His first two goals for the club came on 9 April 2016, in a J2 League match against Giravanz Kitakyushu. In his debut season, he scored 18 goals, making him the team's top scorer and tied for third in the league.
His performance peaked in the 2017 J2 League season, where he scored 25 goals in 41 appearances, earning him the J2 League Top Scorer title. His contributions included a hat-trick against Roasso Kumamoto on 29 April, for which he was awarded the J.League Monthly MVP for April 2017. He also became Yokohama FC's all-time leading scorer, with 78 league goals and 80 total goals across all competitions.
In 2018, Laajab continued his strong form, scoring 17 goals, including another hat-trick against Roasso Kumamoto on 11 August. In 2019, despite seeing reduced starting opportunities towards the end of the season, he scored 18 goals, including his third J2 career hat-trick against Renofa Yamaguchi FC on 31 July. His consistent goal-scoring was instrumental in Yokohama FC's promotion to the J1 League.
However, in the 2020 J1 League season, his playing time significantly decreased. He made only one league appearance and two appearances in the J.League Cup, totaling three official matches for Yokohama FC before his departure.
3.5.2. Omiya Ardija
On 26 August 2020, Laajab transferred to Omiya Ardija on a permanent deal. During his time at Omiya, he struggled to integrate with the team. In 2020, he made 13 appearances, including 10 starts and 3 substitute appearances, but managed to score only one goal. In the 2021 J2 League season, he initially had limited opportunities but gradually increased his appearances in the latter half of the season, finishing with 3 goals in 22 matches. At the end of the season, Omiya Ardija announced that his contract would not be renewed.
3.6. Later career in Norway
On 25 August 2022, Ibba Laajab signed with Lyn Fotball, marking his return to the Norwegian league system. He continued to demonstrate his scoring prowess, notably scoring his first hat-trick for Lyn on 11 November 2023. Coming off the bench, he scored three goals in just 20 minutes in a dominant 10-1 victory against Fram Larvik.
4. Futsal career
Ibba Laajab is renowned as one of Norway's most prominent futsal stars. He made a spectacular debut for the Norway national futsal team, scoring three goals in a 7-2 victory against Malta on 13 January 2011. The very next day, he again netted three goals against Malta. His impressive scoring spree continued on 20 January, when he scored another hat-trick against Israel in a qualifying match for the 2012 UEFA Futsal Championship, bringing his total to nine goals in his first three national team appearances.
Ahead of the qualifying match against Spain on 15 December 2011, Norway's national team coach, Esten O. Sæther, lauded Laajab as a "top international futsal player," emphasizing that Norway's chances against Spain heavily depended on his peak performance. Three days later, on 18 December, Laajab scored the crucial goal that secured a 3-3 draw against Belgium, which qualified Norway for the playoff round of the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifiers. Overall, he made 20 appearances and scored 19 goals for the Norwegian national futsal team between 2011 and 2015.
5. Style of play
Ibba Laajab is characterized by his strong physical attributes, standing at 75 in (190 cm) and weighing 194 lb (88 kg). He possesses a good temperament and strong one-on-one skills. His playing style is noted for his great breakthrough force, making him a formidable forward with a keen eye for goal, primarily utilizing his left foot.
6. Career statistics
The following table summarizes Ibba Laajab's club career statistics, including appearances and goals in various leagues and cup competitions.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Skeid | 2003 | 1. divisjon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1. divisjon | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1. divisjon | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | ||
| Drøbak-Frogn (loan) | 2005 | 2. divisjon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sørumsand | 2006 | 4. divisjon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Borussia MG II | 2005-06 | Oberliga Nordrhein | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Skeid | 2007 | 1. divisjon | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Notodden | 2008 | 1. divisjon | 24 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 8 |
| 2009 | 1. divisjon | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| Total | 43 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 10 | ||
| Mjøndalen | 2010 | 1. divisjon | 27 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 10 |
| Strømmen | 2011 | 1. divisjon | 24 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 8 |
| Vålerenga | 2012 | Eliteserien | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Stabæk (loan) | 2012 | Eliteserien | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Bodø/Glimt | 2013 | 1. divisjon | 26 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 19 |
| 2014 | Eliteserien | 30 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 13 | |
| Total | 56 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 62 | 32 | ||
| Hebei China Fortune | 2015 | China League One | 30 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8 |
| Yokohama | 2016 | J2 League | 40 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 19 |
| 2017 | J2 League | 41 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 25 | |
| 2018 | J2 League | 40 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 17 | |
| 2019 | J2 League | 36 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 18 | |
| 2020 | J1 League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 158 | 78 | 3 | 1 | 161 | 79 | ||
| Omiya Ardija | 2020 | J2 League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 2021 | J2 League | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | |
| Total | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 4 | ||
| Lyn | 2022 | 3. divisjon | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
| 2023 | 2. divisjon | 16 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 9 | |
| 2024 | 1. divisjon | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 15 | ||
| Career total | 434 | 158 | 21 | 6 | 463 | 164 | ||
Other official matches
- In 2018, Laajab made 1 appearance with 0 goals in the J1 League promotion play-offs.
7. Individual awards and achievements
Ibba Laajab has received several individual honors and achieved notable milestones throughout his career:
- J2 League Top Scorer: 2017
- J.League Monthly MVP: April 2017
- Yokohama FC's All-time Leading Scorer (78 league goals, 80 total goals)
- Three J2 League hat-tricks (April 29, 2017; August 11, 2018; July 31, 2019)
- Three hat-tricks in his first three matches for the Norway national futsal team
- Promotion to J1 League with Yokohama FC (2019)