Abdullah Juma Bah falls on the grass of the José Zorrilla stadium in the 78th minute of Real Valladolid – Real Sociedad on Saturday, September 21. The physical and mental effort turns the developing muscles of this 18-year-old Sierra Leonean into taut cables. It has just debuted in First Division against rivals that compete in Europe. It has resisted the siege. Juma asks for the change and the heart rate drops. The fiefdom becomes clearer, with 21,000 fans; the size of the game for a needy Pucela; the grass, a green carpet opposite the fields of dirt and mud where I played not so long ago; professionalism for those who combined football with helping in the family bakery. Thousands of people cheer for the center back on his way to the bench. As he sits down, while his teammates protect the 0-0 and look in vain for something else, one could imagine that time stops and Juma asks himself, “How did I get here?”
Juma, 18, came to Valladolid thanks to talent recruitment programs in Africa, where he stood out despite the fact that as a child he lacked boots to play soccer. The adventure began in the very modest fields of Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone. Real Valladolid, which is now trying to protect him from so much non-sporting commotion, has released a video with images of his training, where a tall, skinny kid can be seen struggling in dirt fields, between adobe houses and tin roofs. From there to artificial grass and natural grass as he rose in the league level. Valladolid Brand has reported on the sporting details of this defender, captured by Chernor Musa Jalloh, a specialist in tracking African promises. The chosen one was 15 years old and participated in the Giant of Freetown Academy youth team. From there he jumped to the Third Division of Sierra Leone, to AIK Freetong, and soon after he was sent to the top category, to Freetonian SLIFA. Juma grew physically and gained experience against veteran rivals while scouts watched him. His team also called him: he was called up although he has not yet made his debut. Meanwhile, he helped his people: he carried wood for the family bakery and kneaded and sold bread with his parents.
Musa Jalloh’s contacts opened a dialogue with agent Patrick Mork, from the Global Soccer Management group, who contacted Pucela to send him several African profiles. The technical secretary, Pachu Martínez, went to Sierra Leone to see the player. Juma liked it and a transfer with a purchase option was accepted. The boy arrived in Valladolid a month ago and the number 35 It has already been released to the tears of his relatives, who managed to see the crash on television. Club spokespersons explain that the Sierra Leonean is “very shy and humble”, he lives in the Players’ Residence and adapts to the first team while speaking English and attending Spanish classes. In sports, he pleased from his first training sessions in Juvenil and Real Valladolid Promesas. He played two games with some and one with the reserve team before being recruited by Paulo Pezzolano, who gave him the starting job this Saturday. The club has broadcast a video where the African, 1.95 meters tall, says “Pum, pum. Boom, boom” how his heart rode when he saw his name on the headline board. “I had never expected to play in La Liga. I don’t know how to express how I felt, it was so exciting, the best I’ve ever felt,” says the white-violet player, “very happy” in the face of such “madness.” Juma sighs as he tries to describe what he felt in the last month and his journey to settling in Spain. “It touched my heart to see the fans saying my name. Hearing the anthem was incredible, I just wanted to play and help the team. My teammates told me to enjoy it like I did in training,” says the African, who remembers Mohamed Salisu, a Ghanaian trained in the Pucelana youth team before signing for Southampton and playing in the Champions League this year with Monaco. The protagonist of this difficult start to the season for his team, with a shortage of defenders and overpopulation in other positions, seeks to remain in the elite and for his family to see him in Sierra Leone: “For my mother to see me play on television is a dream” .
The boy’s emotional torrent is based on good feelings. Soccer analyst Chencho Alonso noticed him when he learned that Pucela was fishing in Africa: “When you know the story you want to see him with the uncertainty of his tactical concepts, defensive movements, line adjustments… if he is competitive for a Promesas and I no longer say in First”. Alonso saw it against Langreo, from II RFEF, and was amazed at the clichés about ball handling or the training of these players from other continents: “I had it all internalized. Although his central partner was the captain, he commanded and pushed forward, with good defensive concepts when moving or adjusting marks, he is very calm with the ball and plays easy. The next day I said that I would be called up in September with the first team and on Saturday he started.” Against Real, more surprises: “I saw the same boy as against Langreo.” The analyst believes that he must improve body orientation and vigilance behind his back, something achievable with matches and confidence: “I expect a super fast evolution, if he continues playing he will have a very high performance over what was expected when signing him. It would be better if he didn’t have to improve, it is possible that he would make big mistakes, but it would be exceptional if he didn’t.” Real Valladolid, he affirms, will have to protect this talent and “pamper that “very important height, fibrous and with a good stride” so that it is maintained: “It needs minutes.” Juma rested on Tuesday in Seville, with Pucelana defeated and two goals behind. This Friday they will play again, against Mallorca (9:00 p.m., Movistar).
