❤️👏🏽Dembele did not make mention of his father, just his mother, and it's not by chance!
Dembele's mother Fatima, an immigrant from Mauritania, had Dembele in France with Ousmane Sr, who came from Mali.
When Ousmane Sr left the family home, Fatima was forced to raise the kids (3) all by herself, according to The Guardian.
"Fatima is the pivot of the family and always believed her son would be star...Fatimata would accompany Ousmane to training every day as well as raising the children alone by doing odd jobs to support them all. Family has always played an important role in his progression,” says Camara, who first met Dembélé in 2012.
Amid grappling with life's challenges, Fatima recognised her son's talent very early and at the age of 6, she accompanied him from Vernon to Rennes, in northeastern France, to meet his uncle, Badou Sambagué, a former footballer and a significant role model for Ousmane. Sambagué, who also served as Ousmane’s agent, introduced him to the Madeleine Évreux football club, where he began his youth career in 2004. It was from Evreux that Rennes snapped up Dembele and the rest is history.
Beyond emotional and logical support, Fatima has been the spine of Dembele's decision-making. She played a pivotal role in contract negotiations.
She is such a powerful woman who believed in her child and sacrificed the little she had to accompany him.
Dembele's words came from a place of real appreciation fully earned by Fatima. This could probably serve as a wake-up call for parents (fathers especially) to be more assertive in the lives of their children.
Talented Xmearal (sources : The Guardian, bbntimes)
Post a Comment