Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton witched England to the European Championship title this summer despite a visual impairment. Now Georgi Minoungou, who is completely blind in one eye, wants to make history at the Africa Cup.
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- A mysterious medical incident almost destroyed Georgi Minoungou's career two and a half years ago.
- But the now 23-year-old fought his way back. Today, he plays with only one functioning eye and dreams of triumphing with Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup.
- Minoungou's story is one of pain, willpower - and what is possible if you don't give up on yourself.
In spring 2023, Georgi Minoungou travels to the training camp in Marbella with Seattle Sounders. But his career highlight so far turns into a nightmare. "After a few training sessions, I noticed that my eye was swollen," Minoungou told the "SportBible" portal in the summer. The doctors suspected an allergic reaction or an insect bite. But the condition continued to deteriorate. "After three days, my eye was full of blood. It turned black, then red. After two weeks, it was completely white."
An emergency operation was unsuccessful and Minoungou was irreparably blind in his left eye. The cause is still unknown. A doctor told the then 21-year-old that he would "never be able to play football again". Minoungou has long since proved the opposite.
"I had to be better than players with two eyes"
He returned to training wearing protective goggles and began to develop new skills to compensate for his impaired vision. He says: "I had to be better than players with two eyes. Otherwise I wouldn't have made it." In August 2024, he received his first professional contract with Seattle.
And Minoungou is developing magnificently, getting plenty of playing time and also taking part in the Club World Cup in the summer. "This tournament made me famous," he says with conviction. Shortly afterwards, the Ivorian was contacted by Burkina Faso national coach Brama Traoré, who called him up to the national team.
In September and October, he played two international matches, and in November, he scored his first two international goals in a 3:0 victory in a test match against Benin. He celebrates with a special gesture: he covers one eye and one ear.
But his story doesn't end there. Minoungou now wants to reach new heights with Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup. The group with Algeria, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea is not easy. But: "We have real talent in this Burkina team. We have no fear."
For him, however, it's about more than just football. He wants to be an inspiration to others: "I want to show young people that there are no limits if you believe in yourself." This mindset inevitably leads to the question: "Why shouldn't we win the Africa Cup?"
The story is a little reminiscent of that of Hannah Hampton, who witched England to the European Championship title in the summer despite being visually impaired.
