Meet our Man Crush for this week, Augustus Kargbo.

Augustus Kargbo, born on 24th August in the late 1990s is a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who currently plays for Italian side, Crotone. Born in Freetown and like many African star players, he started playing football in the streets and also featured in junior mini leagues which is where he was spotted by his agent Numukeh Tunkara.

As a boy Augustus Kargbo was scouted by his agent Numukeh Tunkara in Freetown, Sierra Leone aged 13 years. Believing in Kargbo’s quality, Numukeh Tunkara persuaded the family to allow 13year old Kargbo move to Guinea where he could have a better training and development opportunity. Kargbo went ahead to train and spend two years at Guinea before he signed for the Italian fourth-tier Serie D club, Campobasso where he began his professional career.

In the summer of 2018, he joined Serie B club, Crotone; where he made his Serie B debut in a game against Cittadella, as a 68th-minute substitute for Marco Firenze. On 2 September 2019, he joined Reggiana on loan. On 22 July he scored an important goal for the promotion of the club in Serie B in the final against Bari. He made his Serie A debut for Crotone on 20 September 2020 in a 1–4 away loss against Genoa. Kargbo’s debut in Serie A sealed him as the fourth Sierra Leonean to play in the top-flight in Italy after Kewullay Conteh, Mohamed Kallon and Rodney Strasser, who won the title with AC Milan in 2011.

On 29 September 2020, he was called up by Sierra Leone for the first team. He made his debut for the Sierra Leone national football team in October 2021, during a friendly against South Sudan. He has been resources in matches he has played in for the country. In the last match where Sierra Leone faced off with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, he scored the equalizer in the 84th minute before Iheanacho’s last-minute winner.

During one of his numerous interviews, Kargbo talked about what and who motivates him. “My mother is my biggest inspiration and my super hero as she’s a strong woman. My late father divorced her when I was a small boy, so I was brought up by her”.