Reporter Jia Yanfeng reported that when it comes to Oscar, the vast majority of Chinese Super League fans will first think of the "little golden man" of the harbor, however, the protagonist of this article is Oscar Tati Maritu, born in 1999 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Cangzhou Lions foreign aid - this season's Chinese Super League, Cangzhou Lions started smoothly, and the team's top scorer Oscar has also attracted more and more people's attention, and his performance has even made fans call for naturalization of him.
On the night of April 26, the Cangzhou Lions faced the Henan team at home. In the stands of Cangzhou's home stadium, a huge TIFO was unveiled, which centered on Oscar and the elements of the Chinese national team - first, Oscar wore the shirt of the Cangzhou Lions, and as the music of the entrance ceremony sounded, his team uniform was slowly taken off, revealing the shirt of the Chinese national team.
The atmosphere of the scene was instantly ignited, and Oscar was also touched by the hearts of the fans, and tears rolled in his eyes. "I don't deny that I have the desire to wear the jersey of the Chinese national team, and that is also the glory I dream of. On the evening of April 27, Oscar said emotionally in an interview, "What my home fans have given me has made me feel loved and made me understand that my current identity is not inferior to any international player." I am grateful to them for being the sweetest person in my life. Their attention and encouragement let me know that I had to work harder. ”
▲ The fans' TIFO showed their expectations for the Oscars
On August 17, 1999, in a family of intellectuals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Oscar was born. Although his family is not very wealthy, fortunately, the income is stable and the family atmosphere is warm and harmonious. Oscar's father, a scholar who turned to the ocean shipping trade after many years of working in the education industry, had a clear plan for his son's future from the moment Oscar was born, and he hoped that little Oscar could follow in his footsteps and embark on a stable and bright learning path, and open up a stable life path in the way of a scholar - lawyer, accountant or manager in the construction industry are ideal choices in his mind.
However, Oscar, who was naturally naughty, has been running counter to his father's expectations since he was six years old. "I've been very active since I was a kid, and I especially love football. From the moment I first saw the big kids playing football in the streets, I fell in love with football. When he was in elementary school, he forgot his homework because of football, and even skipped class, so that Oscar was beaten by his father. Initially, Oscar was able to settle down for a few days after being beaten, but as time went on, his determination grew as much as his ability to resist hitting. His father tried to weaken Oscar's passion for football with a financial blockade, convinced that hunger would make him give up football, but Oscar Jr.'s persistence exceeded Oscar Sr.'s expectations.
The father didn't know why his son refused to use this spirit in his studies, and he was even more angry when he saw his wife secretly preparing something for Oscar to eat and let him go out and bring it.
▲Oscar said that the owner of the new Zack club is one of his benefactors
Oscar's dedication to football failed to move his stubborn father, but moved a neighbor uncle who liked football, and later volunteered to coach Oscar's group of street football teenagers, and brought them some food from time to time. Later, when the owner of the new Zack club where Oscar played heard about him, he not only solved some food problems for him, but also gave him some pocket money from time to time to help him get through the most difficult years.
"Without their help, I'm not sure if I would still be standing here today, receiving everyone's cheers and applause. "When Oscar was a little older, he went to play for New Zack, but it was a second-tier club and Oscar needed a bigger stage. "The owner was very nice, helped me a lot, and when I left there, he didn't charge me anything, just told me not to be fooled by the outside world, not to lose my dreams, he wanted me to go back to see him often after I became a real professional footballer, and asked me to help some players who love football but don't have the ability to support their dreams, as he did for me, and pass on this love. This entrustment, this great love, so that the 17-year-old Oscar never gave up and wavered no matter how difficult he encountered when he was in China, he did not want to disappoint the people who helped him, and he wanted to fulfill his promise.
In Oscar's first season after joining the Yongchang team, he just had a little savings, he immediately bought a brand new Toyota Coaster in China, and carried out meticulous painting and interior decoration upgrades, and then sent the car to the owner of Xinzach by container shipping, and sent back some football equipment. Every time he returned to Kinshasa, Oscar would meet up with his former boss, have dinner together, and do some charity activities.
▲ Oscar sent the Toyota Coaster to his old club
Oscar's father worked in ocean shipping, which allowed him to make friends with many Chinese and African businessmen engaged in the China-Africa trade, and the stories and experiences told by these people gave Oscar a preliminary understanding of Chinese culture and history from an early age. Oscar's impression of China is diverse, with both the great Great Wall and high-quality and inexpensive goods, which make him full of curiosity and yearning for the great powers of the East.
"I always skip school, but whenever the teacher talks about China-related lessons, I focus on it. "I was particularly fascinated by the story of the Great Wall and felt that only true heroes could climb there. His heart was filled with the worship of heroes, and he dreamed of one day standing on the Great Wall in person.
When Oscar was about to turn 18, his fate changed because of one man – Zola, a football veteran who had played in China for many years. Zola had an in-depth communication with Oscar's father and finally convinced him to let Oscar go to China to play.
Zola told Oscar: "China is a great country, the economy is booming, football has a lot of prospects, and your ability will definitely be shown there. The elder Oscar, on the other hand, paid more attention to China's Confucian culture and public security, believing that it was beneficial to his son's personal growth and personal safety.
▲ Oscar played in Yanbian Fude
With a vision for the future, Oscar followed Zola to Yanbian, China. Oscar was confident that his knowledge of China and cultural identity would help him shine here, however, he soon ran into a challenge – his first attempt did not go well and almost ended in failure.
"The people who come in and out of my house are either Cantonese or Congolese who do business in Guangzhou, and they are active in the south of China all year round, so they tell me that China is hot, sometimes the summer is hotter than Kinshasa, and they all want to go back to Africa to escape the heat. I thought that China was all Guangzhou, and the whole of China was very hot, and there was no concept of temperature difference. When I first arrived in Yanbian, I had to participate in the first training, and the coach wanted to see my basic qualities, but as soon as I got out of the car, I didn't feel right, the cold, it made me feel like my blood was solidifying, not to mention playing football, even running, my legs didn't obey me. I said no, I want to go back, it's too cold, let me go back and put on more clothes, or go to the bus to relax. Actually, it should have been almost July, and the training that morning was a little rainy, and the temperature was close to 20 degrees Celsius, or maybe a little lower, anyway, it took me a few days to gradually adapt to the weather in Yanbian. Alas, the news is not allowed, it really deceives people. To this day, Oscar still can't help laughing when he thinks back to the past.
Fortunately, Oscar finally passed the trial and signed with the team, but in the first days he had to wait for an opportunity in the development team. At that time, the living environment of the Yanbian team was not good, and the future of the team was not clear, and I didn't know if his first trip in China would end in such uncertainty. But because he knows that the future is uncertain, the opportunity in front of him may be precious, Oscar shines after being in the first team, so although the Yanbian team is disbanded, he has a new foothold.
▲ Oscar played for Chang'an Athletic
transferred from Yanbian to Chang'an Athletic, and Oscar also performed well that season, which attracted the attention of many teams. Unfortunately, Chang'an Athletic at that time also fell into an existential crisis, and the team's fate was hanging by a thread, and in the end, Oscar could only be allowed to leave, and the team held on for another two years with his transfer fee. "My time in Xi'an is very happy, it is a purer and more Chinese city, I really opened my eyes, I scored goals, I gained friendship, and I saw a more diverse, stronger and more attractive China. It can be said that from that experience, I have a firm intention to take root in China for a long time. ”
After arriving in Xi'an from Yanbian, Oscar didn't know how to communicate with his Chinese teammates at first, but his disgraceful personality helped—Chinese teammates often picked up his lost mobile phone, room card, and even his passport, and there were more opportunities to talk, plus training and competitions, he gradually became familiar with everyone.
"The Chinese teammates are very good, they are a group of very lovely people, compared to our Congolese peers, there are not so many words, it seems to be a little introverted and shy, but the Chinese teammates are generally very kind and sincere, once they enter their world, after they accept you, they will be sincere to you, without any scheming and utilitarian heart, they take care of me meticulously, so for me, many Chinese teammates are not only teammates, but also my brothers. Now I have a lot of brothers, Yanbian, Xi'an, Beijing, Hebei, and the whole north. Oscar said that he still remembers the names of many Shaanxi teammates and will be connected.
▲Oscar and Park Shihao have formed a deep friendship in Yanbian and Yongchang
After leaving Xi'an, Oscar joined the then Shijiazhuang Yongchang. Three years, three different cities, three new environments, is also a test for Oscar.
After Oscar joined the Yongchang team, the initial days were not as smooth as the first two stops, and there were some big brothers in the team, as a junior character, he needed to cooperate more with the big brother on the field, and he needed to learn to communicate and integrate off the field. In a new environment, only hard power is the most powerful stepping stone. "I've been injured, I've been through a goal drought, I haven't been able to live up to the club's expectations since joining Yongchang, I'm under pressure, I've wanted to work hard, I've wanted to prove myself, but I can't find a direction. During those days, my teammates went to training, and I was the only one to recover from my injuries, and sometimes I even locked myself in my room and cried. I've cried, but I've never cried in front of people, and I've always been a smiling pistachio who doesn't know what troubles are. Looking back on those gloomy days now, Oscar is embarrassed.
In the most difficult days, it was the birth of her daughter that brought Oscar hope and courage. The arrival of his daughter gave Oscar a motivation to cheer up, to be better, and to be braver, every time he was sad, he would make a video call to his daughter, and when he saw his daughter, he would feel that everything was worth it in the world.
▲The birth of her daughter brought Oscar hope and courage
With his efforts, the fans slowly embraced Oscar. "I found that the Chinese are very warm and sincere, whether in Yanbian, Xi'an, Shijiazhuang or Cangzhou, the fans are very nice, warm and sincere. Sometimes we finished late, and there were people waiting at the airport to pick us up, encourage me, praise me, and give me small gifts. ”
Oscar said that he has been receiving various gifts related to the Chinese national team recently, including clothes, shoes, cards, photos, clay sculptures, and many composite photos of him wearing the Chinese national team uniform. "I know what the fans want, and they really put so much effort into making the non-existent photos so realistic that I almost thought I had that identity in the past. You know these photos look itchy, and there have been several times when I almost couldn't hold back and wanted to post them, but I didn't think it was appropriate, first, I was afraid of infringement, and second, I was afraid of causing trouble in many ways. Because it's one thing to think, it's another thing to act. Over the years in China, I have learned that many things need procedures, timing, and the efforts of too many people, and once it comes to the national level, the process may be more complicated, and there are many things to consider, which cannot be arbitrary and capricious. "Oscar has been playing in China for so many years, and he has somewhat understood a lot of Chinese people's sophistication, and he doesn't want to affect anyone because of his small behavior.
The composite photo of the Chinese national team given to Oscar by fans couldn't be more obvious - I hope he can become a naturalized member of the Chinese national team. What does Oscar think about this? "Listen, how about the national anthem I sang?" Oscar sang the Chinese national anthem before answering this question head-on. It turned out that Oscar was recently pestering translator Xiao Zhou to teach him the lyrics of the Chinese national anthem, and he said that he had long been very familiar with the melody of the Chinese national anthem "March of the Volunteers", and he loved the melody and rhythm very much, but unfortunately he did not know the Chinese lyrics at present. "I want to learn the Chinese national anthem, if I can wear a jersey embroidered with a five-star red flag embroidered on my chest, that's the best, if not, then I'll be the one who sings the loudest off the field. Oscar said that learning to sing the Chinese national anthem in Chinese is one of his goals that he hopes to achieve a breakthrough in 2024, after all, he has always regarded himself as a god of song.
"I believe in fate and fate. Many things, of course, require their own efforts, but they also need to wait for the arrangement of fate. My people are here, and I want to play in China for a long time; my heart is here, and no one can steal it; my face is Congolese face, and my heart is China's heart. So, I know the wishes and voices of the fans, so let's look forward to it together. Oscar said this about being naturalized.
▲ He has reached his own Super League 100 games
Many people feel that the Oscars of 2024 have suddenly metamorphosed and suddenly highlighted, and they don't know what happened. Oscar told reporters: "Actually, since last season, I have slowly started to find my feelings. In this, I have the appreciation of the boss, the support of my teammates, and the trust and understanding of the manager. ”
Oscar said that after Zhao Junzhe coached, he has been trying to upgrade his ability, and has also communicated with him, thinking that his state and age, there is still room for improvement, if he wants to go to the next level, he needs to strengthen some of his abilities, but also diversify, arrange different positions for him on the field, let him try different roles, play different roles. Oscar said: "I'm happy to score goals, but I'm even happier with assists because I feel the change and progress I have made, and I'm full of more confidence and desire for the future. ”
For head coach Zhao Junzhe for his help, Oscar said that he was very grateful, so on Zhao Junzhe's birthday, Oscar smashed two eggs on his head.
Oscar said that he also often plays with the club's investors, and he works very well together. "When I saw the owner, I thought of the owners of the New Zack Club in Congo, they are all my benefactors, and I am lucky to meet them. They all have a heartfelt love for football that goes beyond money, and they have a special tolerance and care for those who truly love football. At the beginning of this year, I received contracts from other clubs and could have chosen to leave, but when the boss said he wanted me to stay, I chose to stay because we held on to our belief in football and the courage to pass on the positive energy of football. Oscar said that he didn't know if the boss could have a birthday in the team, and if so, no one would want to smash the eggs with him.