The first black footballer in the GDR

The socialist brotherhood and the desire to spread communism in the various African countries that gained their independence from the Western countries that occupied them, led to the fact that many young Africans were sent, through scholarships, in East Germany in the early 60s to pursue a university degree and observe the benefits of the communist system. Cherif Souleymane (10/20/1944) was one of those children.

It all started in Neubrandenburg

Sheriff Arrived at GDR in 1961 at the age of 17. Suddenly, a boy from Kindia (Guinea Conakry), who saw nothing but his city, found himself in the cold of Neubrandenburg, 140 km. north of Berlin, and its massive socialist apartment blocks dotting a gray city. Although I live in a building with more 29 students than Angola Y MozambiqueHe is often sad and on the street, children stop to touch his skin to show that he is not painted with charcoal.

He came to professional soccer thanks to the fact that some players from SC Neubrandenburg, who played in the second division, discovered his talent while playing basketball in the university pavilion because of his fluid movement. He studied architecture and changed it to civil engineering to combine it with practice, but even so, he never finished it.

His move to the German club materialized in the 1962-63 season and in his first year as a professional footballer he had to listen to insults from rival stands. They finished in 12th place and Sheriff as the team’s leading scorer.

A bittersweet rise

His second season in the Staffel Nord (Second division), 1963-64 was successful. With 12 goals in 23 matches, he assisted the SC Neubrandenburg automatically promoted to the First Division.

Sheriff he integrated well into German society. He even started dating a woman but when his father found out about her skin color, he absolutely refused to bless the relationship. His football development in GDR was cut short by a rule preventing First Division teams from signing foreign players. Then he decided to join the TSG Neustrelitz in the Segunda for the 1964-65 season and continue to score goals throughout Neubrandenburg only stayed for one year super league.

Soccer: a matter of the state

In early 1965, Sheriff receives a letter summoning him with the national team to play qualifying matches for african games. souleymane He never returned to Europe. In a hidden way, a government official told him that he would no longer play in Germany and that he should stay in Conakry to be part of a team built to succeed at African Champions Cup. In a country weakened by corruption, Guinea’s government has found its salvation in soccer.

kidnapping for a week

In 1969, Colonia contacted Sheriff to include him in his Bundesliga team. This reached the ears of the officials and the police took action by keeping the player at home for a week, incommunicado and pending the movements of his relatives. After a few days, he was summoned to a meeting and he was ‘convinced’. He must stay to satisfy the dictator’s delusions Sékou Toure who wants to win a team from the country African Champions Cup. But not once, if not three times, to keep it as his property.

African Ballon d’Or 1972

Sheriff accepted it and was by his side Ibrahima Sory Keita Y Maxime Camara. Together they would form the most prolific striker of the 1970s. Hafia FC in, finally, in 1972 raise the first Cup. In addition, goalscorer and star of hafia, Sheriff takes the award for African Ballon d’Or. In the next edition they lost in the quarterfinals and the dictator imprisoned the coach for nine months. The second Africa Club Cup will fall in 1975 defeat the Nigerians of Enugu Rangers. The third, they would win it in 1977 against the Heart of Oaks from Ghana. The second leg was played at Guinea Y Sékou Toure He did not hesitate to bring his convertible car to the stadium and drive several times with the coveted cup, stealing all the limelight from the players.

souleymane retired from professional football and his hafia wanted in 1980. I can be proud of having three Club Cups and a golden ballbut what he was most proud of was making history as an African and contributing to the rise of a humble group of East Germany.