Lamine Yamal’s impressive performance at the ongoing European Championships is set to boost football in Equatorial Guinea, according to the country’s football federation.
The 16-year-old, who has amazed the world with his displays in Germany, plays for Spain despite having an Equatoguinean mother and a Moroccan father. Born in Barcelona, Yamal has come through La Masia academy at FC Barcelona, where he recently finished his first season.
“Even though Lamine is not playing for Equatorial Guinea, we hold him very close in our hearts and believe he will significantly impact Equatoguinean football,” said Venancio Tomas Ndong Micha, the president of the country’s football federation, to BBC Sport Africa.
“We are enjoying his extraordinary performances at the Euros and his great season with FC Barcelona. He has our roots, and this shows that we are a country of good footballers,” added Ndong Micha.
Yamal has shown his all-around ability at the Euros, with a stunning goal against France and assists in games against Croatia, Georgia, and Germany. He is set to play in the final against England on Sunday, a day after his 17th birthday, making him the youngest player to contest a final at either the Euros or World Cup.
Yamal’s record as the youngest goal scorer at a Euros (aged 16 years and 361 days) will be very hard to beat. His feats at Barcelona, where he is the youngest player to start a league game (16 years and 38 days) and the youngest scorer in La Liga history (16 years and 87 days), are also remarkable.
‘He is not forgetting his roots’
Equatorial Guinea is a country split into two parts, with the capital Malabo located on one of its island areas while the largest city on its mainland section is Bata, where Yamal’s mother was born. She eventually moved to Spain, where she met his father while working as a waitress.
While his mother and grandmother live in Barcelona, the rest of Yamal’s maternal family are still in Equatorial Guinea. Three years ago, Equatorial Guinea’s football federation (Feguifoot) tried to secure Yamal for their national team but found they were far behind Spain, who play England in the European Championship final.
“We contacted the family in 2021, but the advances with the Spanish football federation were too deep,” Ndong Micha explained. “But we did try because I am a good friend of the family, particularly the grandfather, and all the family talked about the kid. The Moroccans also pursued him, but Spain won.”
Faouzi Lekjaa, president of Morocco’s football federation, explained that their attempts to secure Yamal last year ended in defeat due to the teenager’s firm desire to play for Spain. Nonetheless, both African countries remain close to Yamal’s heart, as seen by the national flags of Morocco and Equatorial Guinea on his football boots.
“This shows that even though he is playing for Spain, he is not forgetting his Equatoguinean roots,” added Ndong Micha.
Image Caption: Lamine Yamal’s boots, featuring the national flags of Morocco and Equatorial Guinea
Ndong Micha believes Yamal is placing his mother’s nation in the global spotlight, similar to Ansu Fati’s early breakthrough at Barcelona, which highlighted his family’s country, Guinea-Bissau.
“His performances, along with those in the Barca first team, show that Equatorial Guinea has a unique style of play compared to most African countries,” argues Ndong Micha. “Given his talent and roots, we could have more players like Lamine here one day.”
Yamal is not the first Spain-based player with Equatoguinean roots to hit the headlines this year. Emilio Nsue stunned global observers by finishing as the top scorer at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations at age 34.
Equatorial Guinea’s football federation continues to invest in developing talent within the country. “We have to continue preparing well,” says Ndong Micha. “The government will soon invest in football academies to discover more talents like Lamine and Emilio. Our goal is to keep growing and possibly qualify for a World Cup in the future.”
If Equatorial Guinea qualifies for the World Cup, Yamal could one day face his mother’s nation on the biggest stage.
