22-year-old Georgi Minoungou didn't give up on football even though he went blind in one eye. And today he's playing in the Club World Cup for the American team Seattle Sounders.
The young striker from Ivory Coast had a major life change two years ago. During a training camp in Spain, he was diagnosed with an infection in his left eye. Due to the infection, he lost the vision in that eye.
"I don't know what happened. It was one of the most difficult moments of my life. My vision was getting worse in every training session and I had to have surgery," said Minoungou, who played for his country's U20 team, Croatian media outlet Jutarnji List reports.
Despite the challenge, he managed to break into the Seattle Sounders first team in 2024. Minoungou signed a contract until 2028, with the option to extend for another year. He has played 35 games in the MLS league in the United States of America. He has one goal and five assists.
"This doesn't stop me. I can't see with my left eye, but I'm moving forward. I can see with one eye, but I can do more than some people who see with both eyes. This is my mentality. My dream has been to play at the highest levels. Although it hasn't been easy, I've worked hard and I've achieved it," the Seattle Sounders footballer told Spanish outlet Marca.
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He played the last ten minutes against Atletico Madrid in the 3:1 loss, while he was on the bench in the 2:1 loss to Botafogo, within Group B.
Recently, "The Seattle Times" wrote that Minoungou is an inspiration to his teammates.
"Sometimes in the locker room my teammates ask me 'Georgi, what's up? You're always smiling'. I'm a happy guy even when I'm going through difficulties. Today may not be good, but you never know what can happen tomorrow," said Minoungou.
The 22-year-old, who plays in several attacking roles, has developed as a footballer with Czech team MFK Vyskov. He has also had a career with Tacoma Defiance.
But, his career brilliance so far has been with the Seattle Sounders.
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Seattle Sounders will play their final group game at the Club World Cup against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Monday, kicking off at 21pm.
Seattle Sounders still have hope of advancing to the knockout stage, although the chances are very slim.
