Georgi Minoungou’s rise after losing an eye as Burkina Faso edge Equatorial Guinea | OneFootball

Burkina Faso winger Georgi Minoungou came off the bench to equalise in the 90+5 minute as his side beat Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in their Africa Cup of Nations opener, a landmark for a 23-year-old who lost sight in his left eye in 2023.

According to L'Équipe, playing this tournament had long been his dream. Edmond Tapsoba then won it in the 90+8 minute.

The issue surfaced in spring 2023 while he was pushing for Seattle Sounders’ first team, when severe itching led to surgery and a sudden, unexplained loss of vision. Advised to quit by a doctor of 38 years’ experience, Minoungou refused.

With Seattle’s reserves, Tacoma Defiance, he leaned on team-mate Abdoulaye Cissokho for language, tactics and daily treatment, spending months at home before returning. He credits perseverance and faith.

After medical clearance and coach Brian Schmetzer’s approval, he gave himself one week to prove he could still compete, and came back after five months. Early issues reading aerial balls faded as he rebuilt his game through extra work on positioning and scanning.

He points to September’s 3-0 Leagues Cup final win over Inter Miami, saying he beat Lionel Messi and that Sergio Busquets praised his story after a shirt swap.

Used mainly as an impact substitute in MLS, with 23% of minutes, he remains grateful to Seattle while hoping for Europe, with this tournament a potential springboard. He rejects pity and wants youngsters to see that persistence matters. Burkina Faso play Algeria on Sunday at 18:30.

Source: L'Équipe