“I See Many Talented Kids Playing With Bare Feet” — 12-Year-Old Sajjad Yusuf Donates 22 Boots to Grassroots Footballers
On a dusty football pitch in Lagos, where talent often competes with hardship, 12-year-old Sajad Olasukomi Yusuf saw something that stayed with him — gifted young footballers chasing the same dream he has, but without even a pair of boots to call their own.
For many of the children gathered at Onigbongbon Primary School on Sunday, August 30, football is played with whatever is available.
Some have boots; others make do with worn-out footwear or their bare feet.
Sajjad, a young footballer who recently returned from the United States, could not simply watch.
Instead, he brought 22 pairs of Adidas boots and gave them to aspiring grassroots footballers, turning his personal passion for the game into an opportunity to help children who have fewer resources.
“I decided to give away free Adidas boots. This programme was to help people in need who don’t have boots and who don’t have as many opportunities as me,” Sajjad told Sportsbeat.ng.
The initiative was not conceived by an adult or imposed on him. It was an idea that had been growing in the young footballer’s mind for years.
“I’ve been having the first call since I was like three years old. I saw how many kids were in need,” he said.
Sajjad understands that talent alone is not always enough.
He has heard stories of footballers whose friends were more talented but never reached the professional level because they lacked the opportunity.
And in a country overflowing with football talent, he believes there are countless youngsters who simply need someone to give them a chance.
“I know in Nigeria, there’s a lot of talent, and a lift like this could go a long in helping their realized their football dreams’ he said.
A Field Full of Memories
There was another reason Sajjad chose Onigbongbon Primary School for the outreach.
The modest, dusty pitch is part of his family’s football history.
His father grew up in the area and played on the same field, while his uncle also had a connection with the pitch.
The pitch is also symbolic in the area, noted as the pitch where Super Eagles Super Star, Victor Osimhen cut his teeth during his formative days.
For Sajjad, returning there was a way of connecting with that history while beginning his own.
“I just wanted to come to the field where my father played and my uncle played, carry on the legacy and also make my own,” he explained.
His mother, Mrs Rafiat Yusuf, said the choice was entirely her son’s.
“He actually did. It’s something he has always wanted to do. He loves giving. He said, ‘Mommy, I would love to give back to the community ’ I said, okay, let’s get it done. And then we got it done,” she told Sportsbeat.ng.
Rather than staging the event in one of Lagos’ more affluent areas, Sajjad wanted to be where grassroots football is lived every day — on the dusty pitch, among children who understand the game not as a luxury, but as a dream.
A Family Behind the Dream
Behind Sajjad’s initiative is a family determined to support his ambitions.
His father rented the field specifically for the outreach, while his mother has encouraged his desire to give back.
“I love my parents a lot. They supported me a lot,” Sajjad said.
“I’m happy that they’re doing this for me, and I’ll make sure to repay them back in the future.”
The event attracted community leaders, as Onigbongbon LCDA Vice Chairman, Shamsideen Oloyede kicked the event open.
Grassroots coaches and grassroots sports enthusiast, journalist and influencer Olusola Adebayo aka Sportspedal.
Sports personality, celebrity and Social Media giant Sulaiman Pooja also attending to add colour to the occasion.
But beyond the cameras, guests and donated boots, the significance of the day was in the smiles of the young footballers who walked away with something they may have previously considered out of reach.
For Sajjad, however, Sunday was not the end of the journey.
He wants the initiative to grow and hopes to continue supporting grassroots football long after his own playing career.
“Even if I don’t become a football player, I will try to become either a scout or a coach or a CEO of an academy so they can get as many opportunities as possible,” he said.
At 12, Sajjad is still dreaming of becoming a professional footballer.
But on a dusty pitch in Lagos, he has already begun doing something bigger than chasing his own dream, he is helping other children believe that theirs is possible too.
