From Eritrea to Éire

Adonay Mustofa, Republic of Ireland

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life? 

My name is Adonay Mustofa and I was born in November 2002 in Asmara, Eritrea. At the age of seven I started to kick football around the garden of my house. As I was very young my parents were not confident enough to let me play football in the streets, however I often managed to sneak out of the house to watch the teenagers play on the streets. Although they never let me play, as I was young, I had the opportunity to watch them play. 

In Asmara, road cycling was more popular than football. Every Sunday roads are closed and people are out on the street to support their favourite cyclists. My family were also big fans of cycling. My older brother at that time was riding for one of the oldest cycling teams in Asmara, “Red Sea”. But even though I was my brother’s biggest fan I always wanted to play football more than ride a bicycle. 

I started playing for my school team and every Sunday I used to play in another neighbourhood by pretending I was going to watch my brother cycling, until I was found out one day and punished. I was interested in watching football. I was a Manchester United fan and my favourite player used to be Luis Nani. My dream was to become like him. 

In January 2018 I moved to Ireland and joined SARI and started playing every Friday. However this was not enough. A couple of months later I joined Beaumont FC Under 16. After playing one season I stopped to focus on my studies and then Covid came as well. But then in September 2020 I joined a new team called St Patricks FC. I played two good seasons and moved to my current team Stella Maris. 

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

All the photos were taken in Dublin, Ireland. Some of them during training and match days with my previous team St Patricks. My teammate is a very talented goalkeeper. The rest were from when I was taking coaching lessons, where all the coaches were practising. The photo of women’s football is during the Unity Cup that was organised by SARI.

I tried to show that football has no gender barrier. All boys and girls can play it. Also, I tried to show how joyful sport it is. Especially when you are playing with your mates. 

My favourite photo is one I took with my teammates during the Cup Final against Home Farm. Everyone is ready to play. Everyone is in the photo and it gives me good memories of the time. My teammates and my coaches have helped me to become a good player. The FAI coaches gave me good coaching experience. Every photo basically has good memories.

What role does football and SARI play in your community?

SARI had a lot of impact on me. SARI showed me there is equality in sport, and everyone should be treated the same with respect.  

Football has multiple roles in my community. The biggest role is equality, where everyone can play and enjoy football no matter their background or gender.

What does football mean to you? What ambitions do you have for the future?

It is very difficult to properly explain what football means to me. However, football is everything to me. It is the most beautiful sport to play or watch. It is what makes me relaxed when I am feeling low or stressed. I totally switch off when I play football. I wanted to become a footballer, however not everyone gets the chance. But I am always playing.

What is the future for football in Ireland?

We can see Ireland has many legends, however the future of Irish football needs a lot of work. We need to introduce different types of playing styles to be more competitive in Europe and in the world. There are many talented players who just need modernised coaches to help them reach the top level.