- 2024 Spotlight #3
Personal Statement
I was born in Ivory Coast and I am currently living in South Africa since I was 4 years old. I started playing football at a young age and joined my first club at 6 years old. Throughout the years in South Africa, I have faced multile occasions of xenophobia and mockery. I learnt that each incident was a way for me to grow in maturity and showcase my worth. I built from all the criticism, specifically from the right people. Football has taught me that in order to develop, you need discipline, maturity, consistency and humility. With these factors, I have been able to prove myself and still continue to. This created a sort of ambition and competitiveness in me. I was able to stay at the top of South African youth football since I joined Orlando Pirates at 12 years old and currently play in the Gauteng Development League (division 1) u17 for Randburg Football Club. I played a u15 tournament in Rotterdam called "Orange Veins" where I was able to compete against PSG, Feyenoord, Excelsior Rotterdam, Club Brugge, West Ham, PSV and many more professional academies.
I plan to pursue engineering in college, combined with a high football level. I am currently in the French School "Lycée Jules Verne" of Johannesburg. I have been balancing my academics and my football career since my earlier age after joining Orlando Pirates and Randburg Football Club. Moving forward, I aim to be a student-athlete in the United States after showcasing my football talent and my academics.
