Your predecessor in Slavia, Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, plays Ghent. Is his career a role model for you?
Clearly. He was in Slavia and I am still her player, I am a guest in Liberec. I may not be completely objective now, but I want to prove even more than he does. If I achieve the same, too good, but I have it in my head set up so that I want to achieve even more than he does. I know about my qualities, I am young and I have a career ahead of me.
Many African players were also inspired by your famous compatriot Didier Drogba, twice the best football player in Africa. Do you know each other?
Yes of course. We live in the same city. A lot of Ivory Coast players live in Abidjan, so we all know each other quite well. I talked to him several times. He’s a great person, just fine. He told me that I had to believe that one day I would be a great player and that then it would come true. I enjoyed meeting him.
Slavia the favorite, Sparta with Liberec may rather surprise
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You have approached a great career in recent years, let’s go back to its beginnings. When Ivory Coast first played at the World Cup in Germany with Drogba, you were nine. Did you experience it then?
I know all the players who played there then, but to be honest, I don’t remember. I didn’t watch football that much again then, because I come from a big family and I had to work sometimes to make some money. Now, when I get home, I try to bring something, clothes, shoes every holiday. I try to help those who need it.
What were you doing?
Details. Before I grew up, I had a problem with money, food and the like. Sometimes I helped out in a store, I had short contracts, for no big money. And I went to school normally.
Do you remember your first football boots?
I didn’t have any for a long time and played without them. It wasn’t until I was sixteen or seventeen that my dad bought me my first. We had a small team in my city and we just played for fun. Then one person told me that he knew a very good team, and if I went there, I might get a chance to go and play in Europe. I’ve been there twice and it wasn’t very good, plus it was an hour’s journey. So I just wanted to play again with friends for fun. But they persuaded me. I told my dad that I wanted to stop school and just play football.
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Didier Drogba and his new image
Didier drogba, Twitter
What did he tell you?
Of course he disagreed. But every time I took the bag, put the football boots, the ball in it and went to train. Two years later, an agent came to see me and took me to Spain. I was there for two and a half years and then moved to the Czech Republic to Vyškov. Then came Jihlava, Slavia and now I’m a guest in Liberec.
So in four years a very big leap.
Certainly. Going from the second league to Slavia is a big leap, and not everyone will succeed in three years. Slavia is a big club and it was a great experience for me. I’m very happy that we were able to play two matches for her, but I know I haven’t shown everything I can yet. There was little time and I hope to get another chance. But now I’m in Liberec and I’m looking forward to the European League.
Today, your dad is probably glad that you went to football. Does it fit?
Of course. He knows how much I love this job. And now he keeps supporting me, we keep calling. I hope that my parents will soon be able to come and watch a match. But now everything is complicated due to coronavirus. When it calms down, they will definitely come to me.
Ghent is not fine, but he trusts in Liberec. We have better players, we also build on Ngadeu’s experience, says the Belgian coach
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The Czechia is now one of the worst countries in the world in connection with the second wave of coronavirus, are your parents asking you that?
My mom keeps calling me if I’m okay. They tell me I have to be careful because you don’t even have to know how to get infected … I have to take care of myself. The situation regarding coronavirus is not good, but what will you do?
In West Africa you have experienced the Ebola epidemic again, are you comparing it?
I don’t have direct experience with Ebola, not many people in my country had it, my whole family was fine. But I think it’s worse now. Ebola was only in one part of Africa, while coronavirus is everywhere in the world in every country …
Let’s move on to even more pleasant things. In the last league match against Příbram, Rabušic scored a hat-trick. Before the third goal from the penalty, you ran across the entire field to Rabušic. What happened there?
I wanted to kick the penalty first. (smiles) But Rabusic said he had never scored three goals per game in his career. So I told him no problem, and let him go shoot, and I told the others to let him. I was very happy that he succeeded. He is a very good boy, I like him.
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Liberecký Kamso Mara (center) celebrates with his teammate the winning goal from the penalty against APOEL Nicosia.
Vlastimil Vacek, Right
Who is your best partner in Liberec?
I spend a lot of time with Kamso Mara, then with Mosquera, who speaks Spanish, so I talk a lot with him. And of course with Yusuf, with whom I moved from Slavia. But I’m mostly with Mara.
How many languages can you speak?
Four. I speak French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. And a little Czech. (switched to Czech) Hello, how are you, thanks, your back. (Laughs)
And finally, do you have a dream team?
Of course, Barcelona! When I was little, my dad liked her very much and watched her every match. Every goal was celebrated like crazy.
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