Dominic Shaba

Sadio Mané: “When it was my turn for the trial, there was an older man looking at me like I didn’t belong there. He asked, ‘Are you here for the trial?’ and I said yes. ‘With those shoes? Look at them. How do you expect to play in those?’ he said. They really were old and worn out. Then he added, ‘And those shorts? Don’t you have proper football shorts?’ I told him I had come with the best equipment I had and that all I wanted was the chance to play and show what I could do. When I stepped onto the pitch, you should have seen the surprise on his face. He came over to me afterwards and said, ‘I’ll sign you straight away. You’ll play for my team.’ I went hungry, went through difficult times, played football barefoot and didn’t go to school. I don’t really know what fun is. I’ve never gone to parties because I know that if I don’t give everything, I won’t perform well on the pitch and I won’t reach my goals. Today, with what I earn, I can help others. I’ve built schools and a stadium. We’ve provided clothes, shoes and food for people living in extreme poverty. Why would I want ten Ferraris, twenty diamond watches and two aeroplanes? What good do those things do for the world?”