Christian Saba
Encyclopedia
Christian Saba is a Ghana
ian footballer who plays as a central defender.
One of the most lengthy tenures of any foreign player with a sole team, he was never able however to make it past the reserves of Bayern Munich
.
's youth system in 1996 at 17, alongside compatriot Emanuel Bentil
. Neither were able to break into the first team, but Saba did manage to stay with the club, playing for the reserves
and being an occasional standby player for the first team.
Saba's debut in the Bundesliga
occurred not with Bayern, but with Hertha BSC, where he was on loan for 1998–99: on 29 May 1999, in the season's closer, he played 10 minutes in a 6–1 home routing of Hamburger SV
, in what would be his only top flight appearance. The following campaign, he was loaned to Arminia Bielefeld
, but did not manage one single official appearance, and the club was also relegated from level one.
From 2000 onwards, Saba remained a defensive stalwart for Bayern's second team, which competed in Regionalliga Süd
. He was released in June 2011 at nearly 33, after 16 years with the club.
's under-23 team for the 1996 Summer Olympics
, alongside Bayern teammate Samuel Kuffour
, and scored twice against Italy
in the group stages, helping qualify the Africa
n precisely at the expense of the Europe
ans.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian footballer who plays as a central defender.
One of the most lengthy tenures of any foreign player with a sole team, he was never able however to make it past the reserves of Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
.
Club career
After appearing in his country for King Harrison Accra and Accra Hearts of Oak, Saba joined FC Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
's youth system in 1996 at 17, alongside compatriot Emanuel Bentil
Emanuel Bentil
Emanuel Bentil is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Hollywood United Hitmen in the USL Premier Development League.-Professional:...
. Neither were able to break into the first team, but Saba did manage to stay with the club, playing for the reserves
FC Bayern Munich II
Bayern Munich II are the second team of German association football club Bayern Munich. In 2010–11 they played in the 3rd Liga, having qualified for its inaugural season in 2008, and have consistently played at the third level of German football — they played in the Regionalliga Süd from...
and being an occasional standby player for the first team.
Saba's debut in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
occurred not with Bayern, but with Hertha BSC, where he was on loan for 1998–99: on 29 May 1999, in the season's closer, he played 10 minutes in a 6–1 home routing of Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, in what would be his only top flight appearance. The following campaign, he was loaned to Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
, but did not manage one single official appearance, and the club was also relegated from level one.
From 2000 onwards, Saba remained a defensive stalwart for Bayern's second team, which competed in Regionalliga Süd
Regionalliga Süd
The Regionalliga Süd is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany...
. He was released in June 2011 at nearly 33, after 16 years with the club.
International career
Saba was selected for GhanaGhana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
's under-23 team for the 1996 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
, alongside Bayern teammate Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Osei Kuffour is a retired Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a defender.Known for his great physical power, he is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich, whom he represented for over a decade, winning a total of 17 major titles, and playing in nearly 250 official...
, and scored twice against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in the group stages, helping qualify the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n precisely at the expense of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans.