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Eighteen\u2011year\u2011old Ibrahim Fullah scored on his first full professional start as Charlton rotated their side to beat Stevenage 3\u20131 at The Valley, a night that doubled as a showcase for the club\u2019s academy graduates and reaffirmed a new long\u2011term contract for the Lewisham\u2011born midfielder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ibrahim Fullah emerged as the clear protagonist in Charlton Athletic\u2019s comfortable 3\u20131 Carabao Cup victory over Stevenage at The Valley, converting a composed academy-crafted move to put the hosts in control. Miles Leaburn opened the scoring before Fullah\u2019s finish from a Henry Rylah cross, and Luke Berry added a late third after Lewis Freestone\u2019s consolation for Stevenage. Contemporary match reporting framed the result as a confident display by a largely rotated Charlton XI. <\/p>\n
The goal represented a memorable first full professional start for the 18\u2011year\u2011old Lewisham\u2011born midfielder, who lasted 82 minutes and impressed with assured control and calm decision\u2011making throughout. Observers noted the strike came as part of a slick sequence underlined by the academy\u2019s emphasis on inter\u2011play and movement; Fullah\u2019s earlier first\u2011team involvement had been a brief late cameo against Burton Albion at the end of last season. Live coverage and post\u2011match summaries highlighted the youngster\u2019s seamless transition from academy outings to senior competition. <\/p>\n
Manager Nathan Jones was in no doubt about the eye\u2011catching nature of Fullah\u2019s performance. Speaking after the tie, Jones praised the teenager\u2019s energy and self\u2011belief, saying he displayed a \u201clack of fear\u2014almost disrespect to the opposition,\u201d while adding that \u201che can be a top footballer if he continues to work hard.\u201d The manager also emphasised the player\u2019s demeanour off the pitch, stressing that the youngster balances confidence with respect. Club comment and match commentary underlined that Fullah was one of several academy graduates to seize an opportunity on the night. <\/p>\n
That upward trajectory is now tied to a recent contract decision: Charlton announced in April 2025 that Fullah had signed a new long\u2011term deal, a progression the club linked back to his development after joining the academy at under\u201110 level. The club framed the signing as confirmation of the pathway it promotes from youth teams to the first team, noting his prior professional contract from April 2024 and citing his goal and assist records at academy level as indicators of potential. Charlton\u2019s academy staff have publicly praised his athleticism, quality and attitude in training. <\/p>\n
Jones\u2019 selection for the cup tie underlined his willingness to rotate: he made extensive changes to the side, handing starts to numerous young players and using the tie to test squad depth ahead of league commitments. Match reports and live commentary recorded the substitutions and minutes, and placed the result in the context of early\u2011season preparation \u2014 an opportunity to blend experience with emerging talent while maintaining competitive standards. Sky Sports and other coverage treated the evening as useful preparation for the weeks ahead. <\/p>\n
The night did not pass without a hiccup for the visitors: Stevenage\u2019s party encountered travel difficulties on arrival at The Valley, with their team bus unable to negotiate the tight approach and manager Alex Revell reportedly leading the players on a short walk into the ground. That awkward prelude contrasted with Stevenage\u2019s on\u2011field response, which produced a late reply through Lewis Freestone but ultimately could not overturn Charlton\u2019s control. <\/p>\n
Beyond the scoreline the match carried emotional resonance for the club\u2019s supporters. The tie fell on what would have been the 44th birthday of superfan Seb Lewis, who died during the Covid pandemic; he is remembered at The Valley for an extraordinary run of 1,076 consecutive matches between February 1998 and 2020. Supporters and family recollections \u2014 including an anecdote from his brother Ollie about Seb once hiding near a training ground to avoid missing a game \u2014 were prominent in coverage of the evening and in the club\u2019s own memorial initiatives that followed his passing. <\/p>\n
For Charlton, the evening offered both a result and a reminder of the return on investment in its academy. Industry coverage and the club\u2019s own commentary pointed to the victory as evidence that youngsters can be integrated without undermining competitiveness, and that contract renewals for graduates like Fullah are part of a deliberate strategy to nurture home\u2011grown talent. If Fullah builds on this start and sustains the attitude praised by coaching staff, the consensus among observers is that he could become a regular contributor to the senior side. <\/p>\n