Rilwan FHW (born 3 December 1987), formerly known as Rilwan Salawu, is a Nigerian-born American soccer player who plays for Electsports FC of Limbe in the Cameroon First Division. He plays primarily as a defensive midfielder, but has played as a striker or holding midfielder in the past.
Early life He was born in Lagos, Nigeria where he was a member of the Pepsi Academy. He moved to Brooklyn, New York at a young age and soon developed an interest in basketball and played varsity basketball at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School, but he opted to play soccer at the college level."FDR Edges Brooklyn Tech in Tourney", NewsDay, December 12, 2003. Retrieved June 8 2018.
Club career He played soccer briefly for SUNY Cobleskill in upstate New York and then transferred to SUNY Binghamton in 2008. He was officially invited to join the Nigerian U-20 side, while on a trip to Nigeria in the summer of 2008. The team was then coached by Ladan Bosso and they were preparing for the 2009 U-20 African Qualification Tournament in Sudan. His late birthday was days before the cut-off and this prevented him from making the final selection of the Nigeria U-20 team, however this opportunity kick-started his professional football career.Mark Lungariello, "FAR FROM THE WORLD CUP", Wag Mag, July 25, 2014. Retrieved June 8 2018.
He went on to play for Maxbees FC, a second division team in Ghana, and several Premier Development League (PDL) teams in the United States, most notably the Brooklyn Knights, the Westchester Flames and the FC JAX Destroyers. He then moved to Europe and played for Kjellerup IF in the Danish 2nd Division, where he featured in the DBU Cup, and in Turkey for Kurtalanspor and Bulancakspor.Olusola Alao, "Ex-Flying Eagles star Rilwan Salawu wants Eagles, USA call-up", Score Nigeria, February 27, 2018, Retrieved June 8 2018.
He joined the Belmopan Bandits in Belize in 2017, and featured in their inaugural CONCACAF League appearance. In 2018, he continued with the Belmopan Bandits and won the Belize Premier League and a second qualification for the CONCACAF League."Bandits’ Rilwan Salawu looking forward to second consecutive championship", Breaking News Belize, April 22, 2018, Retrieved June 8 2018. He won the 2018–19 Belize Premier League again and also featured in the 2018 CONCACAF League.
In the 2022–2023 season, he played for Ole FC in the American UPSL, scoring 3 goals and providing 7 assists. He captained the side to win the conference and regional championships, leading them to the Elite 8 of the national tournament before losing to Columbus Crew.
In 2023, he joined Elect Sports FC in Limbe, Cameroon, and made an immediate impact by scoring the fastest goal in league history during his debut, netting the ball in the first minute of the game.[5 "Ex-Flying Eagles Rilwan – Why I join Cameroon club"], 11th Media Global Concept, June 29, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
International career He was invited to join the Nigerian U-20 side in 2008, coached by Ladan Bosso, but did not make the final selection due to his late birthday. Despite this, he remains active from the 2008 class of Flying Eagles and aspires to represent Nigeria at the senior level.[5 "Ex-Flying Eagles Rilwan – Why I join Cameroon club"], 11th Media Global Concept, June 29, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
Personal life On January 28, 2023, Rilwan changed his last name from Salawu to FHW, marking the 25th anniversary of his move from Nigeria to the U.S., with the acronym "FHW" standing for Faith & Hard Work.[5 "Ex-Flying Eagles Rilwan – Why I join Cameroon club"], 11th Media Global Concept, June 29, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
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