Ken Sema Explained

Ken Sema
Full Name:Kenneth Nlata Sema[1]
Birth Date:30 September 1993
Birth Place:Norrköping, Sweden
Height:1.80 m
Position:Midfielder
Wing-back
Currentclub:Watford
Clubnumber:12
Youthyears1:–2013
Youthclubs1:IFK Norrköping
Years1:2013
Clubs1:IFK Norrköping
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:2013
Clubs2:IF Sylvia (loan)
Caps2:22
Goals2:4
Years3:2014–2015
Clubs3:Ljungskile SK
Caps3:60
Goals3:11
Years4:2016–2018
Clubs4:Östersunds FK
Caps4:58
Goals4:8
Years5:2018–
Clubs5:Watford
Caps5:145
Goals5:11
Years6:2019–2020
Clubs6:Udinese (loan)
Caps6:32
Goals6:2
Nationalyears1:2016
Nationalteam1:Sweden Olympic
Nationalcaps1:4
Nationalgoals1:1
Nationalyears2:2017–
Nationalteam2:Sweden
Nationalcaps2:18
Nationalgoals2:0
Club-Update:4 May 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:16:56, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Kenneth Nlata Sema (born 30 September 1993) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder for club Watford and the Sweden national team.

Club career

Early career

Sema got promoted to the IFK Norrköping first team as a 19-year old in 2013. However, he spent the entire season on loan to IF Sylvia[2] and did not get his contract renewed after it expired at the end of the season.[3]

In 2014, he signed for second-tier team Ljungskile SK.[4]

Östersunds FK

In January 2016, Sema signed for Östersunds FK in the Allsvenskan,[5] where he would have his major breakthrough. Sema won the 2016–17 Svenska Cupen with Östersund, assisting three of their four goals in the final,[6] and later played a major role in their 2017–18 UEFA Europa League campaign. On 22 February 2018, Sema scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Arsenal in the round of 32. Despite this, Östersund were eliminated from the Europa League after losing 2–4 on aggregate.[7]

Watford

On 4 July 2018, Östersunds FK chairman Daniel Kindberg revealed that Sema was close to signing for Premier League club Watford on a five-year contract.[8] The next day, Watford confirmed the signing.[9] He scored his first goal against Bournemouth in January 2019 in a 3-3 draw.[10] He was integral in helping Watford get promoted back to the premier league in the 20/21 Season and scored six goals and got six assists.[11] On 6 February 2024 Sema made his 150th appearance for Watford in their FA Cup 4th Round Replay defeat to Southampton.

Loan to Udinese

On 22 August 2019, Udinese Calcio signed Sema on a season-long loan from Watford.[12] He made his Serie A debut for Udinese on 25 August 2019 in a 1–0 win against A.C. Milan.[13]

International career

In 2016, Sema was a part of the Sweden Olympic team that played in Brazil, and scored his first U23 goal in a match against South Korea Olympic. In January 2017, he debuted for the Sweden senior team in a friendly 6–0 win over Slovakia.[14]

Sema was an unused substitute in the two-legged playoff against Italy in November 2017, which Sweden won, and therefore qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Despite featuring in commercials with the rest of the Sweden squad before the World Cup, Sema was eventually left out of the World Cup squad.[15] [16]

Sema made his competitive international debut in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying game against the Faroe Islands national football team which Sweden won 3–0.[17]

Playing Style

Sema is known for his hard work, a trait that has made him very popular with Watford fans. He likes to dribble past opponents to get into good crossing positions. He is mainly a winger but has occasionally been used at left back or wing back, due to his ability to work hard and track back defensively. He is affectionately known as King Ken by Watford fans.

Personal life

Sema was born in Sweden to Congolese parents, and his brother Maic Sema is also a footballer.[18] He speaks with a stammer, and after a video went viral of him doing a post match interview with Watford TV, he was praised as a role model for children and adults with speech impediments.[19] [20]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
IFK Norrköping2013Allsvenskan000000
IF Sylvia (loan)2013Division 1 Södra22400224
Ljungskile SK2014Superettan30760367
2015Superettan30443347
Total60111030!07014
Östersunds FK2016Allsvenskan2343000264
2017Allsvenskan24450131425
2018Allsvenskan1100000110
Total5888013!1799
Watford2018–19Premier League1713020221
2019–20Premier League00000000
2020–21Championship4151011436
2021–22Premier League1801020210
2022–23Championship4040010414
2023–24Championship2912010321
Total14511707115912
Udinese (loan)2019–20Serie A32210332
Career total299362536113134341

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Sweden201710
201850
201910
202020
202140
202210
202340
Total180

Honours

Östersund

2016–17

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Comunicato Ufficiale N. 216 . Official Press Release No. 216 . Lega Serie A . 3 . 10 March 2020 . 12 July 2020 . 19 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519040258/https://www.legaseriea.it/uploads/default/attachments/comunicati/comunicati_m/8324/files/allegati/8418/cu216.pdf . dead.
  2. Web site: Nio IFK-spelare i Sylvias trupp . Ulf . Stråhle . 3 April 2013.
  3. Web site: Sema om nobben: ”Klart jag var sur” . www.expressen.se.
  4. Web site: Sema och Björlund klara. https://archive.today/20140512223350/http://bohuslaningen.se/sport/fotboll/1.2842843-sema-och-bjorlund-klara . dead . 12 May 2014 .
  5. Web site: Ken Sema bekräftar övergången till ÖFK: "Jag är klar" . 5 January 2016.
  6. Web site: Östersund vann Svenska Cupen . 13 April 2017 . www.aftonbladet.se.
  7. Web site: Arsenal 1-2 Oestersunds FK - UEFA Europa League 2017/2018 Live . WhoScored.com .
  8. Web site: Ostersund confirm Sema's Watford switch . Harry . Gray . Watford Observer . 4 July 2018.
  9. Web site: Official: Sema Signs On . Watford F.C. . 5 July 2018 . 26 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180726190450/http://www.watfordfc.com/teams/first-team/official-sema-signs . dead.
  10. News: Bournemouth and Watford in six-goal thriller . 2024-03-21 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
  11. Web site: Ken Sema Football Stats Watford Season 2020/2021 Soccer Base . 2024-03-21 . www.soccerbase.com.
  12. Web site: Watford winger Sema completes Udinese loan switch . 22 August 2019 . Evening Standard . en . 29 August 2019.
  13. Web site: Vinst mot Milan för Sema i Serie A-debuten . 25 August 2019 . DN.SE . sv . 29 August 2019.
  14. Web site: Sweden 6 – 0 Slovakia – Football . The Guardian.
  15. Web site: Sveriges trupp till fotbolls-VM 2018 – här är alla som får åka till Ryssland . 15 May 2018 . aftonbladet.se.
  16. Web site: Märkliga Ica-bilderna: ”Har blivit reaktioner” . expressen.se.
  17. Web site: Sema om EM-jakten: "Måste jobba hårt för det" – Corren . 18 November 2019.
  18. Web site: ÖFK:s nyförvärv Ken Sema i stor intervju – hyllar föräldrarna: "De flyttade till Sverige för att ge sina barn ett bra liv" . Patrick . Sjöö . 5 February 2016.
  19. News: Kemble . Jamie . Leeds United's Luke Ayling sends 'love' to Watford star Ken Sema after inspirational interview clip emerges . 21 February 2023 . Yorkshire Evening . 21 February 2023.
  20. News: Browning . Oliver . Watford star Ken Sema battles through stammer to give post-match interview . 21 February 2023 . Independent . 21 February 2023.