Fatou is a 16-year-old aspiring footballer from Thiaroye-sur-Mer whose dream of playing in Europe is confronted with the harsh realities of failed irregular migration. Her story intertwines her passion for football with family dilemmas, shedding light on the profound motivations that push young individuals to seek asylum and the grave consequences that often follow.

Amidst the bustling streets of Thiaroye-sur-Mer, we meet Fatou, a young girl whose dark skin radiates in the sunlight. She is shy and hesitates, searching for words. Gradually, she opens up, revealing closely guarded secrets, especially those relating to irregular migration. Fatou was born with a deep-rooted love of football. She is described as a young woman whose footsteps on the gravel pitches resonate with quiet confidence and determination, overcoming obstacles in her path. Her face lights up with the glow of an unrelenting dream: a career in football, fuelled by an insatiable passion. She has been training for a year. Her goal is clear: to progress, to establish herself, and perhaps one day to become a celebrated player who represents her home country of Senegal and paves the way for others with similar dreams. She reveals that she once attempted to migrate illegally. “It was last year,” she says, without batting an eyelid, as if daring and risk-taking were part of the same movement in life. She does not make excuses, but explains that her reasons go beyond the simple desire to leave.

At only 16 years old, Fatou attempted to migrate irregularly because, in her words, she “wanted to support my parents financially”. Her father organised the journey, which she did not ask for but accepted until the end, even though the reality of leaving was brutal. ‘One day, he found me sitting in my room and told me to get ready. He said I was leaving for Spain by canoe.’ Fatou continues: ‘He didn’t ask my opinion, but I must admit, I wasn’t against the decision.’ The family dynamic is complex and ambivalent. According to Fatou, her mother was also aware of the plan. The young footballer does not shy away from exposing the mechanisms that led to this hasty departure: the promise of a better future; the emotional and financial cost; and the weight of a dream shared across generations. Although she does not know the exact cost of the trip, she still feels its impact on her life. “I don’t know how much it cost him.”

“I still haven’t ruled out migration, but…”

However, the journey did not go as planned. The canoe was supposed to leave from Malika, but the police intervened at the last moment. The story then takes a turn for the worse with the failed departure and the consequences of the decision to take another route. She does not completely rule out migration, however: “I still haven’t ruled out migration, but next time I want to go through legal channels.” Fatou has not given up on her dream of going to Spain or France to ‘have a more stable financial situation and, above all, to continue my passion, which is football’. She remains realistic, saying, “It’s working for now, but it works better in Europe. I’m in a training centre. Europe represents the potential space where football can become a professional career and a springboard to a better life. She is clear-headed about the reality of football and the opportunities it offers. Even if I were selected for the women’s national football team today, I would not rule out migrating, because this profession offers better opportunities in Europe than in Senegal.’

Even if the road ahead remains uncertain, her heart remains focused on her passions: football, her village and the dream that is reinvented every day on the pitch and during family discussions that oscillate between support and encouragement. Fatou is not just looking to leave; she is looking to grow and learn, and to forge her own path through European cities and stadiums.