Imagine say you dey play for your kontri for major tournament and you be 16 years.
Spain youngster Lamine Yamal don do am, and im do dey do am in style.
Di Barcelona star wey already be di youngest player to play for di European Championship, im now don become di youngest to score afta im curl one ogbonge ball from outside di box into di top corner of di France goal for Tuesday semi-final.
Spain go ahead to win dat game wit Dani Olmo goal bifor halftime.
But Yamal bifor Sunday final go be 17 years.
Di tricky winger already don play 51 games for Barcelona – wia im score 7 goals. Im dey rub shoulder wit di best players wia enta dis Euro tournament.
Pipo wey sabi who im be, no dey surprise wit di performance di 16-year-old dey show for dis championship.
‘Yamal go do tins we no fit to imagine’
Lamine get incredible talent – di previous youngest player for di Euros na Poland player Kacper Kozlowski – 17 years and 246 days – for 1-1 group-stage draw against Spain for Seville in June 2021.
But you go get di feeling say Yamal fit to break some more records.
“Im go do tins we no fit to imagine.” Ivan Carrasco wey don train wit Yamal for di junior level tok.
“I remember am as pikin wey sabi im talent. For sport, pipo wit talent become selfish, but Yamal no dey so.
As young coach you go ask yousef say ‘wetin I fit teach am if im doi di tins wia I neva fit to imagine from di bench?’
“Di closer you dey to Lamine, di more you sabi say im be special footballer.”
Former Barcelona reporter and current Sport TV journalist Jaume Marcet dey remember di day im sabi say im dey watch ogbonge player dey play football.
Marcet wey be expert of Barcelona grassroots football, say: “I don see brutal display by Lamine for di final of di Catalunya cadet tournament.
I don see Messi perform magic, but I neva see anytin like wetin Lamine do for dat game, wit children wey don grow pass am. Dat day im do everitin.”
‘Yamal na beacon of hope’
Yamal get one goal celebration wia im dey do everitime im score – di 304 celebration.
Dis celebration na to pay homage to im neighbourhood wia dem raise am, Rocafonda 304 – one area of Barcelona wia tourists don dey visit.
Yamal wia im mama from Equatorial Guinea and papa from Morocco, enta Barcelona afta im papa hold im hand take am go dia to ask if dem go allow make im pikin play for di club.
Barcelona tok say “yes, but we need to take am go school first.”
Lamine Yamal come move to Barcelona La Maisa academy, despite say im and im parents dey live close to di club.
For one interview wit Sport, Xavi Martin wey be former director for La Masia remember wen im meet di player, im parents and di agent dat time, for Ivan de la Pena, so di boy go stay for La Masia.
“We meet on Tuesday and Saturday im already dey pack im bags,” Xavi Martin tok.
Di success of dis boy – Yamal, no be for im alone, but for di entire area wia dem born am (bifor now, dat area don dey neglected).
Di 16-year-old na beacon of hope for pipo wey see dreams come true for im success say everitin dey possible.
Yamal begin to love football wen im see im papa and older cousin dey play inside di park wey dey opposite wia dem dey stay.
“I spend more time for di park dan di house. Everitime I enta di street, na football I wan play,” im tok.
Di young boy just dey set and break records. Di youngest player wey play for Barcelona – at 15 years and 290 days – since 15-year-old Armando Sagi for 1992.
At di age of 16 years and 57 days, im become di youngest player and goal scorer for Spain national team.
Future Ballon d’Or winner?
Di talent of di young player don catch di eye of ogbonge player Lionel Messi, some pipo already begin dey compare di 16-year-old to di player wey pipo sabi as di greatest player.
Messi already mention Yamal wen dem ask am about di players wia go fit to fight for di ballon d’or in di coming years.
Di player imsef dey realistic. “We no go ever get anoda player like Messi,” Yamal don reply plenty pipo wey dey compare am to di Barcelona and Argentina legend.
Im fit to be right, but dis days, one big banner dey Barcelona home games wey get Yamal picture wit di 304 sign and di logo wey tok say “El futuro no espera” (di future neva go wait).
Di rest of di summer go show if di future already don arrive.
Source: BBC
