Drogba's dream and the trafficking of young African players

Thousands of African boys are brought to Europe each year with the promise of becoming soccer superstars. But most end up alone, abandoned in the midst of the world's most glamorous cities.

Most of the boys come from poor families, they hope that their children's passion for football will change their lives. And 'businessmen' or more precisely 'headhunters' flock to the Black Continent to buy and sell the dreams of the boys at cheap prices and speculate in the hope of selecting the next Drogba, the next Eo'o.

It's not easy to find the new Drogba, and thousands of African boys have been left behind.

The story of 'Black Rough Jade' has stirred up the football world, the story is about the case of a Malian boy, under 16 years old, who was taken away from his family to faraway Europe by a self-proclaimed 'scouteur'. And they were tricked by human trafficking organizations disguised under the names of famous clubs, sold as commodities at a young age, then abandoned when the value they brought was no longer there.

Alassane Diakite was born in Mali, a country where half of the population lives in poverty. He wanted to use his passion for football as a means of escaping poverty. At the age of 15, Alassane met a 'Businessman' who promised to turn him into a football star in Europe. His parents agreed and invested all their hopes and savings, but the harsh reality did not match their expectations.

It only costs money to "feed" the African boy. If the African boy is talented, the "businessman" will get a good deal. If he can't show it, the boy will be abandoned.

Alassane spent a month and a half in a locked basement in central Paris. He was only allowed out to play soccer occasionally when the agent found a trial place and, if suitable, would sell Alassane to a team, without the boy receiving a penny.

But being sold was still a blessing. Alassane Diakite did not prove much and was abandoned by those who brought him to Europe. At that moment, the boy from Mali realized the truth:

"It was a brutal eye-opener for me. It took me a while to accept the truth. Eventually, I saw through the false glamour, the completely distorted view of European football. I didn't know my true potential, I just listened to the promises of a wide-open football path."

Abandonment and deportation threaten African boys after promises from European human trafficking bosses

Not all of the thousands of young African players sold are as talented as Drogba or Michael Essien. Those who do not meet the requirements will be abandoned, stranded in a foreign land with no money in their pockets.

After trying his luck in Portugal and Spain, Alassane has decided to settle in Madrid, where he is struggling to make a living under contract with small club CD Canillas.

"I don't regret what I've been through, my life has improved but it's still hard, football has been unfair to me"

According to TinTheThao