PHOTOS: Top African footballer Mohamed Buya Turay misses his own wedding, sends his brother instead

Malmo striker Mohamed Buya Turay missed his own wedding after the club requested he joined the squad earlier.

                        

The 27-year-old has signed for the Swedish outfit after a spell playing in the Chinese Super League both Hebei China Fortune and Henan Songshan Longmen. 

The transfer was announced by Malmo on 22 July after travelling to the city, but his wedding ceremony in Sierra Leone is said to have taken place on 21 July. Malmo wanted him to link up with his teammates sooner and because he wasn't able to be in two places at once, Turay had to get his brother to take his place for the wedding to his girlfriend Suad Baydoun. 

Turay did post three pictures of himself and his new wife on his social media channels but confirmed those images were taken prior to the actual event. 

However, he hasn't actually been with his wife since they officially tied the knot and they are hoping for a honeymoon later this year. "We got married on July 21 in Sierra Leone," Turay told Afton Bladet. "But I wasn't there because Malmö asked me to come here earlier. We took the pictures in advance. So it looks like I was there but I wasn't. 

My brother had to represent me at the wedding itself. "But I will try to get her to Sweden and Malmö now so she can be close to me. She will live here with me." Turay made his debut for Malmo in the Europa League on Thursday, coming off the bench in a 3-0 win over Diddeleng. He has experience of playing in Sweden, having won the Allsvenskan in 2019 while on loan at Djurgårdens IF, where he was also the league's top scorer. 

Turay, who has a young daughter from a previous relationship, hit headlines a few years back when he claimed an injury suffered on international duty was the result of black magic following his Golden Boot victory. 

"The native doctor told me the cause of the toe injury was because I stepped on a spiritual object in Leone Stars camp, put there for me by a person who wanted me to get elephantiasis thereby destroying my career," he told the BBC. 

"She further told me that if I had gone to the hospital for treatment or had used conventional medicine to try and heal the toe that would have ended my career.”

🌟🐐🦁🇸🇱 I married my sweetheart, wife and my Best friend today!!! What an amazing human being!!! And What a blessing!!! Mrs SBT💞💍 Suad Baydoun

I can’t wait to enjoy life with you together soboti 😃🤦🏾‍♂️. pic.twitter.com/nEw4siV0QF

— Mohamed Buya Turay 🇸🇱 (@turay_buya) July 31, 2022