The mention of the Sports Association of the Future (ASA) does not necessarily refer to him. Besides, it doesn’t really fit with his personality. A man in the shadows, it is nevertheless Isaac Sawadogo, Bouki to his friends not to name him, who brought to the baptismal font this ambitious lair in the training of the next generation of footballers in Burkina Faso. Son of a former EFO leader, Isaac, who inherited his self-sacrifice for football from his late father, lives out his passion to the great joy of the little ones.
In the 1990s, Etoile Filante de Ouagadougou (EFO) was one of the rare teams that had control over Burkinabè football, particularly everything that concerns national competitions. The “blue-white” training was then led by true enthusiasts such as Georges Marshall, Pierre Sawadogo, etc. “Pierre was truly living his passion. I remember that when the player Mohamed Kann arrived, it was he and Norbert Tiendrebéogo who willingly decided to buy him a P50 motorcycle,” recalls the emblematic president of the EF0, Georges Marshall.
Certainly, Pierre left this world on June 25, 1996, but not without leaving his passion behind. Indeed, among his offspring, one took up the torch, becoming such a passionate servant of the football king. This is Isaac Sawadogo. A young footballer (attacker) when he was practicing and who had learned his lessons during inter-school competitions, Isaac Sawadogo, well known under the pseudonym Bouki, will not go far as a player. Then came exile, to Uncle Sam’s country, an emigration that lasted 14 years. There, he builds morale and builds relationships. He returned home in 2007.
“When I came back, young people approached me asking me to help them realize their football dream,” he explains. His first steps are timid. It honors Salitas resident registration fees. From help to help, Bouki found himself with 4 residents under his arms, in a few months, in his care. “One day, I asked myself why not bring my own center to the baptismal font if I already have four talents in Salitas,” he emphasizes. Thus was born the idea of creating this place for training young footballers.
Close and attentive to players
Fifty-year-old who looks like a good-looking American basketball player (1.81 m, 102 kg), Isaac Sawadogo is embarking on the project. He created the Sports Association of the Future (ASA) in 2019. In 2021, he obtained his affiliation documents from the Burkinabè Football Federation (FBF). In 3 years of existence, the center has all categories, around fifty of which are under the boarding regime. This is the case of Cheick Fadil Amadou Kaboré, 23, who joined the ASA at the end of 2021 after a trial.
He is currently the team captain. He is full of praise for the founder of the ASA. “A great gentleman! His love for youth is intense. He considers us as his children,” appreciates Fadil. The captain of the ASA is especially marked by one of his president’s principles: “he does not hesitate to tell you the truth while remaining within the limits of respect,” he admits. Nicknamed “Captain XXL” by Isaac Sawadogo “for the indifference of my slaughter in training than in matches”, the versatile full-back believes in the ASA project of which he wants to be part of the history.
Just like Fadil, Abdoul Madjid Sayouba Derra, attacking midfielder, is also 23 years old. He also arrived at the ASA 3 years ago “because of the quality of the project of the founder of the ASA”. According to him, Isaac Sawadogo is not his president but rather his “dad”. “He is always close to his players and listens to them. It’s my first time meeting such a leader,” confesses Madjid.
Under the same roof with its players
In addition to being able to obtain a seat for the team where the players are accommodated, Isaac Sawadogo has a particularity with the youngest. There are around twenty of them and they share the family courtyard with him. “These children sleep under the same roof as me a few years ago. They do everything together. I take care of their education, their catering and everything that follows. Which creates more of a bond between them. In the field, they even find themselves with their eyes closed,” says Isaac.
This is what explains their coronation during the recent tournament organized by the Burkinabe international footballer, Edmond Tapsoba. In this competition, his youngsters whom Isaac describes as “phenomena” played 21 matches without the slightest setback. Their only poor performance was a draw. The founder of the ASA has no doubt, these young people will certainly be the pride of Burkinabe football in the near future. But in the meantime, in just 5 years of existence, two residents of this training, notably Ruan Bénédict Minoungou and Mohamed Maïga, have been transferred to Israel. Other transfers to Slovakia are being finalized. Because Isaac Sawadogo’s objective is clear: “train young people and transfer them to Europe for a better life”. He is satisfied with the work already accomplished.
Yves OUEDRAOGO
