If you mention Sierra Leone, people will forever associate it with the bloody civil war that ravaged the country from 1991 to 2002. There was no mercy; even children were sent into the conflict. People who once owned cocoa plantations and earned relatively decent incomes, by Sierra Leone standards, were left with nothing. The war pushed them back to colonial-era hardships. In the darkest of times, they had to wade waist-deep into rivers, searching for diamonds with shovels and buckets, all for the “reward” of a plate of rice per day. The capital of Sierra Leone is Freetown (meaning “Free Town”), but in the early 1990s, it was anything but free. Things took a turn for the worse after the arrival of Johnny Paul Koroma. A major by rank, he seized the city from Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and immediately imposed a dictatorship. From that moment, the city, once known as the “Athens of West Africa,” became a stage for horror and some of the most brutal battles of the war.🚨🇸🇱 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | Manchester City have signed Juma Bah (18) and loaned him to RC Lens until the end of the season. ✅ pic.twitter.com/QzSfCxWP32— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) January 27, 2025 Today, 23 years after the end of the conflict, Sierra Leone and Freetown remain places marked by high poverty and crime rates, with political protests and shootings still common occurrences. It was in the streets of such a city that the hero of our story, Abdulai Juma Bah, grew up. This young man is a new member of Manchester City and is loaned to Lens, but to reach the dazzling heights of the big stage, he had to overcome life’s toughest challenges.”I woke up every day at 4 a.m. to help my father. He was a baker. We went to the forest to chop wood for the oven so we could bake bread. After that, I helped my mother. We prepared meat and fishballs. We couldn’t afford a grinding machine, so I had to mash everything with wooden tools,” Bah recalled.From ‘barefoot football’ to Etihad: Pep finds African diamond on the ‘Lion Mountains’Of course, there was no happiness in any of this. It was all about sheer survival under harsh conditions. Abdulai’s only way out was football. He played on the muddy and dusty streets of Freetown with other children who were in similar or worse financial situations.”I started when I was ten. I couldn’t afford cleats and played barefoot on the streets with friends. Later, I played on dirt fields until I made it to the Sierra Leone Premier League” he said.2023/24 season – Playing in Sierra Leone 1st Division 2024/25: Signing for Manchester CityWhat a story, Juma Bah is really making his dream come true ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/9589B5oBVv— Rising Ballers (@RisingBallers_) January 21, 2025 While playing on the streets, he caught the attention of local scouts, particularly because of his height and strength, which made him stand out among his peers. This led to an invitation to an academy by a man named Chernor Musa. From then on, things started to happen at an incredible pace. At 15, he was playing in the third division, and just a few months later, he was called up by Freetonians, a top-division club. By his own admission, his idol is Antonio Rüdiger, the Real Madrid defender, who also has roots in Sierra Leone through his mother.The Citizens are buying a whole new defenseHe quickly gained attention, and during one match, Pacho Martinez, a scout for Real Valladolid, was in the stands. He called the club officials and said, “I’ve found a player for us”. The deal was quickly finalized, and Abdulai said goodbye to his parents, sister, and two half-brothers. His European dream was within reach, but it nearly fell apart. The problem was his visa. The final step before leaving for the continent was the Spanish embassy in Guinea, which firmly stated, “We won’t let him fly to our country.” The situation caught the attention of a Valladolid security staff member and a club supporter from José Zorrilla Stadium. They intervened, and, against all odds, Bah boarded the plane.Egyptian prince comes as the most expensive January signingOnce again, events unfolded at lightning speed. Whether it was fate or simply life’s unpredictable course, after just one match with Valladolid’s reserve team, Bah was promoted to the senior team and made his debut in the starting lineup against Real Sociedad. In doing so, he became the first player from Sierra Leone to play in La Liga. Thousands of kilometers away, his family and friends watched on TV.”I never expected to play in La Liga. When I saw my name on the scoreboard, my heart raced. All my teammates and the coaching staff kept telling me to work hard, stay calm, and enjoy the moment. The support from the fans was incredible – hearing them sing the anthem and chant my name was the best feeling of my life.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8667508##From that moment, he became indispensable, and the football market went crazy for the young man who, just a few years earlier, was struggling to feed himself and help his parents put even one meal on the table. Giants started calling – Simone Inzaghi wanted him at Inter, with the Nerazzurri offering 10,000,000 euros, but Valladolid said no. The lure of the Premier League and Pep Guardiola proved stronger. His success in Valladolid is evident, as he leads La Liga in aerial duels won (18). No surprise, given his 195 cm frame.”Work hard, dream big, and stay humble. I want to give back to the fans for their support and to the coach for his trust. In every chapter of life, prove that dreams do come true” says Abdulai Juma Bah.
