Claus Niyukuri

Claus Niyukuri

Personal information
Full name	Claus Babo Niyukuri
Date of birth	(2000-02-13) 13 February 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth	Burundi
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Haugesund
Number	2
Youth career
–2017	Kopervik
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2019	Kopervik	26	(3)
2020–2022	Vard Haugesund	48	(2)
2023–	Haugesund	34	(3)
International career^‡
2024–	Burundi	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 August 2024

Claus Babo Niyukuri (born 13 February 2000) is a Burundian professional footballer who plays as a defender for FK Haugesund.

Career

Born in Burundi, Niyukuri came to Norway around 2004. His family settling at Haugalandet,^[1] Niyukuri played youth football in Kopervik IL and made his senior debut in 2017.^[2] In 2019 he was named by Haugesunds Avis as the most surprising local player of the early season. However, this was as low as the 4. divisjon, the fifth tier.^[3] He moved up two tiers to SK Vard Haugesund. Following three seasons at Vard, he moved up another two tiers to sign for FK Haugesund ahead of the 2023 season.^[4]

Already in the second round of the 2023 Eliteserien, he fell and injured his knee in what initially seemed like a season-ending injury.^[5] However, it was discovered that the injury was much less severe.^[6] He returned, later scoring his first Eliteserien goal in October 2023, which was Haugesund's winning goal against Aalesund.^[7]

In 2024, Niyukuri played regularly during April and May, but struggled with injuries during the summer. He was incapacitated for most of the autumn.^[8]

References

1. Brandt, Mathias (24 April 2023). "Skremt av egen skrekkskade: – Fikk frysninger av å se" (in Norwegian). TV 2. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
2. Claus Niyukuri at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
3. Grøttland, Odd Kåre (15 May 2019). "Lokalfotball: Han er den store overraskelsen". Haugesunds Avis (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 November 2023.
4. Biørnstad, Carl Henning (11 November 2022). "Målløs etter å ha signert for FKH: – Det er nesten så jeg ikke tror det" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 November 2023.
5. "Kan være ferdigspilt for sesongen: – Verste en spiller kan oppleve". Sportsbibelen (in Norwegian). 24 April 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
6. "Haugesund-stopper unngikk alvorlig kneskade: − Har vært veldig heldig". VG (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
7. "Haugesund sikret etterlengtet seier mot Godset: – Betyr utrolig mye". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
8. Flateby, Terje; Grøttland, Odd Kåre (13 October 2024). "Marerittet fortsetter for Claus: – Jeg holder tårene inne". Haugesunds Avis (in Norwegian). Retrieved 10 November 2024.