Inyaki Williams started the game and Garner lost 3-2 to Portugal. A day earlier, his younger brother Nico Williams appeared in a Spanish shirt against Costa Rica. Together, the refugee brothers made a new World Cup history, becoming the first half-brothers to represent a different team since the 1930 World Cup (Kevin Boateng, who played for Ghana in the 2010 World Cup, and Jérôme Boateng, who played for Germany, were half-brothers).
From the Refugee House to the Soccer Temple, the Williams brothers went down in history with inspirational lives. Among the teams participating in this World Cup, there are also many players who were also born in refugee homes, Canadian superstar Alfonso Davis, Australian players Avi Maby and Garang Coole... They illuminate once gloomy lives with their football dreams, and their conquest of destiny and the shining of the stadium inspire equally displaced people to dream and hope even if they are forced to lose their homes.
Each is the master, and it is a common wish to give back to the family
The Williams brothers, who are 8 years apart in age, were born in Spain. Because their parents are Ghanaian, the brothers have dual citizenship. While younger brother Nico was determined to play for the Matador Legion, older brother Inyaki eventually made the decision to wear the Ghanaian national team jersey.
"It's not an easy decision, but it's a decision to follow your heart." Inyaki, who played warm-up games for Spain, admits that he changed his mind because he recognized Ghana as his "roots": "I know what Ghana and Africa mean to me and my family. Seeing me wearing the Ghana shirt for the World Cup has always been a family's dream. ”
Although the brothers are in charge of the World Cup, fighting for their families is their common wish. "Everything we do is for parents and families to repay them for everything they give and let them see their children achieve their dreams." Iniaki, 28, admits that he didn't learn until eight years ago what his parents had gone through to escape the ordeal. Even if the mother avoids telling the terrible details as much as possible, the panic in the crowded and dilapidated trucks, the despair of trekking through the desert, the thirst for simple food and water relentlessly peel away the trauma of memory.
"Along the way, people fall, people are buried, and danger is everywhere. Hearing the stories of our parents makes us fight harder and have a stronger heart. "Iñaki said he and his brother Nico have always been grateful that if their parents had not risked their lives to come to Spain, they would not have been able to enter the world-famous Lesama Academy and represent Athletic Bilbao in La Liga until now they are on the World Cup stage. We can never repay them, but the life we strive to give them is exactly the life they dream of giving us. ”
Like his older brother, Nico, who is only 20 years old, has a stronger desire to fight and a mature mentality than his peers. "What my parents went through made me think more." Nico was overjoyed to receive a call from Spain coach Luis Luis Enrique, "My family is very proud of us to play in the World Cup together. They have suffered a lot for us and this is the best reward. ”
Shouldn't it be successful? Life is redefined by football
Compared with the Williams brothers, Alfonso Davis, who led Canada back to the World Cup after 36 years, has more responsibilities and expectations. Unfortunately, in his first game against Belgium, he missed a penalty and Canada lost 1-0. It wasn't a smooth World Cup debut, as was his troubled start in a refugee camp.
Davis was born 22 years ago in a refugee camp in Ghana to parents fleeing war in Liberia. It wasn't until he was 5 years old that the Davis family was relocated to Canada by UNHCR. On campus in Edmonton, an after-school football game changed Davis' fortune, and his football talent wow Coach Enlighten: "This child is a gift from heaven to football." ”
Davis, who found his direction in the football world, embarked on the road of growth at the speed of light. At the age of 15 years and 8 months, he became the youngest player in Canada to play, and at the age of 20 he lifted the Champions League trophy with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich... Today, at just 22 years old, he has not only become the core of the Canadian team, but also ranks among the best wide players in world football with his outstanding physical fitness and sharp breakthrough.
"A kid born in a refugee camp shouldn't have made it, but now we're going to the World Cup. Don't let anyone define your dreams as unrealistic, keep dreaming, keep working hard to achieve your dreams! Ahead of the World Cup, Davis, who is keen on social media, wrote this inspirational manifesto and put a link to a documentary about his transformation from a "refugee baby" to a talented star. Stepping into football, he hopes to tell the world from his personal experience that "refugees don't choose to be refugees because something happened in their country and they have to go to a safer environment." If we have the opportunity, we can also become doctors, staff, football players. ”
In order to ensure the survival of more children who have lost their homes, as well as the opportunity to receive education and participate in sports, Davis participates in the work of UNHCR as a goodwill ambassador, and all his income from this World Cup will be donated to charity. "Tens of millions of people around the world, like my family, have fled conflict in search of safety. Only with security and opportunity can they reach their potential and thrive. "He uses his experience to transmit the power of sport, giving healing and hope to forcibly displaced people and helping them shape their future.
Author: Gu Miao
Editor: Chen Haixiang