Simon Adingra recounts being stranded in Benin at 12 after academy scam | OneFootball

Sunderland winger Simon Adingra has revealed he was left stranded in Benin aged 12 after his family were duped by a fake football academy. The Ivory Coast international is now at the World Cup, having missed the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

Sunderland Echo reports that Adingra and nine other boys travelled from Ivory Coast to Benin believing they would join an academy, only to be abandoned with no accommodation, no support and no money for food.

He described the organiser as a crook who took their money and disappeared. Faced with either returning home or waiting for a chance, the group stayed together and washed dishes in restaurants to earn small amounts and meals.

Their fortunes shifted when a fellow Ivorian recognised their accent in the street, helped them find housing and built a basic set-up around them. Over time it drew more players and became a functioning academy in Benin.

Adingra later played a tournament in Ghana, where Right to Dream spotted him. His rise continued through Nordsjaelland and Brighton & Hove Albion before his move to Sunderland. He scored his first goal on 28 December 2025 in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United, then joined Monaco on loan last winter for an initial £870,000 with an option to buy for £16 million after limited starts under Règis Le Bris.

Source: Sunderland Echo