It didn’t work out the way he had hoped, with Ibini failing to score a goal in 10 starts. And then last November his father died, prompting him to return to the Mariners on loan until the end of the current season.
"I think the experience in Asia really toughened him up mentally," Central Coast Mariners coach Phil Moss said, "and obviously he's been through some personal heartache losing his Dad. So I've seen a much more mature Bernie back at the Mariners this year."
Ibini has already found his scoring touch since returning to Australia, and at just 21 years of age, the Nigerian-born star says he wants to further his career on foreign fields.
He’s already played for the Young Socceroos, but the lure of a contract in Europe is a big drawcard.
For now though, Ibini is happy to be closer to his family and back at the club where he made his name.
"My family is doing pretty well," Ibini told SBS, "and I'm doing pretty well handling it, so we're just moving forward and hopefully he was proud of me when I scored that goal so it was good to score."
