Ben Folami

Ben Folami
Born	(1999-06-08) June 8, 1999 Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Professional soccer player
Years active	2017–
Known for	Winger for Adelaide United and the Australia national team

Gbenga Tai "Ben" Folami (born 8 June 1999) is a professional Australian soccer player who operates primarily as a winger for both Adelaide United and the Australian national team.

Ipswich Town

Originating from Sydney, Folami entered Ipswich Town's academy in 2015 after developing his skills at Football NSW Institute and with the Sutherland Sharks during his youth. Advancing through Ipswich’s development ranks, he made his senior team debut on 22 August 2017 in an EFL Cup fixture that ended in a 2–1 defeat to Crystal Palace. His first league appearance occurred on 2 April 2018 in a 2–2 draw against Millwall. In May 2018, Folami committed to a three-year contract extension, binding him to Ipswich until 2021. Unfortunately, on 14 January 2019, he sustained a torn Achilles tendon while playing for the under-23 squad against Cardiff City, which ruled him out for the remainder of that season.

Following his rehabilitation, Folami returned to action with Ipswich’s under-23 side before making his way back into the senior lineup on 12 November 2019, starting in a 0–1 EFL Trophy group stage loss versus Colchester United.

Stevenage (loan)

On 31 January 2020, Folami was loaned to Stevenage for the rest of the 2019–20 campaign. He made his debut as a second-half substitute on 8 February in a 2–1 defeat against Exeter City. During his loan spell, he featured twice off the bench before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Return to Ipswich Town

Folami netted his inaugural goal for Ipswich in an EFL Trophy match against Gillingham on 6 October 2020.

In April 2021, Ipswich Town confirmed that Folami would depart upon the expiration of his contract at the conclusion of the 2020–21 season.

Melbourne Victory

On 28 October 2020, Folami joined Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory on loan until the end of that season. He opened his scoring account for Melbourne Victory during a 2–2 draw with Thai club Chiangrai United in the AFC Champions League on 30 November. Following his release by Ipswich, Folami secured a permanent two-year deal with Melbourne Victory in July 2021.

International career

Of Nigerian heritage, Folami received a call-up to the Australia U19 squad for the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship held in Indonesia. He participated in four matches and scored once as Australia bowed out in the quarter-finals. His performances earned acclaim from Fox Sports, describing him as "an absolute revelation" and "Australia's best player."

Folami made his debut for the Australia U23 side on 14 October 2019 in a 2–1 defeat against Iran, later scoring his first U23 goal during a commanding 5–1 victory over China on 15 November 2019.

He earned his first senior cap for the Australia national team on 24 March 2022, appearing in a 2–0 loss to Japan during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals categorized by club, season, and competition

Club	Season	Division	League		National Cup		League Cup		Other Competitions		Overall
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Ipswich Town	2017–18	Championship	4	0	0	0	1	0	—		5	0
	2018–19	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2019–20	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
	2020–21	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1
	Total		4	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	7	1
Stevenage (loan)	2019–20	League Two	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Melbourne Victory (loan)	2019–20	A-League	0	0	0	0	—		5	1	5	1
	2020–21	A-League	17	3	—		—		—		17	3
Melbourne Victory	2021–22	A-League	24	3	1	0	—		3	1	28	4
	2022–23	A-League	26	1	0	0	—		—		26	1
	Total		47	6	1	0	0	0	8	2	56	8
Career total			53	6	1	0	1	0	10	3	65	9

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Appearances	Goals
Australia	2022	1	0
Total		1	0

Club

Melbourne Victory

• FFA Cup: 2021

International

Australia U23

• Third place in AFC U-23 Asian Cup: 2020 AFC U-23 Championship