Abe Donzo – The Refugee Prodigy

Bradley Cates Stories,

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Abe Donzo (also known as John Abraham Kamara) was born on September 3rd, 1993 on the Guinean-Liberian border. He had a large family – 15 siblings due to having a trigamous father. He had a difficult start to life, spending almost his entire childhood in poverty.

Donzo’s parents wanted him to get a chance in life and stop living in poverty by sending him to a UN refugee camp in an area of Liberia which was close to the border. His parents hoped that this could help Donzo, along with his half-sister, aunt and uncle, move to Canada and start life anew. However, their plan had some difficulties and Donzo had to wait a long while before leaving the camp. In the meantime, Donzo had a ball and kicked it around. His talents soon began to shine and he practised every hour. At the age of 12, Donzo finally left the camp and moved to Ottawa, the Canadian capital.

Abe Donzo’s life in Canada, however, had a tricky start. His aunt abandoned the family, so his uncle had to take care of him and his half-sister alone. His life soon changed when he met guidance counsellor and sports coach at the University of Ottawa, Phil Roberts. Roberts’ wife, Sue, soon took a shine to him and Donzo was invited to celebrate Christmas with Phil and Sue Roberts and their two daughters. Afterwards, Phil and Susan Roberts became his legal guardians after a charity called Children’s Aid Society told Donzo’s uncle that he couldn’t work and look after children at the same time and he refused to get help.

It was because of Sue Roberts that Abe Donzo began his football career. When he just turned 13, Sue Roberts, who was impressed with his football skills, helped him join Ottawa Fury. When he was 14, he started playing for the U17s and quickly became one of their star players. When his footballing ability grew and grew, his coach had heard there was a football camp in Ottawa and suggested Donzo should sign up. However, it wasn’t a camp at all – it was a TV show.

The show was called “Soccer Dreams” and its aim was to find the best Canadian player between the ages of 14 and 18, and the winner will earn himself a two-year contract at Everton’s academy. Donzo and another player were invited to England to have a trial with Everton in 2007, and a few months later, Donzo was asked to return, but the other player wasn’t, with Donzo saying:

I want to show I can compete.

Abe Donzo subsequently won “Soccer Dreams” and officially became an Everton player.

If you can’t be bothered to watch the eight-minute video above, here is the moment Abe Donzo found out he was an Everton player.

After a chat with Everton’s academy coach, Ray Hall, before completing the deal, here is what Abe Donzo said:

He [Hall] said he liked my skills and they were ready to sign a contract. He told me I could sign for four years if I want.

Hall obviously say a lot of potential in 14-year-old Abe Donzo, and exciting times were ahead for a young refugee who once only had a ball in his possession and idolised Didier Drogba. But soon afterwards, Donzo’s hopes were dashed. In May 2008, a couple of months after winning the contract, Donzo tore his anterior cruciate ligament – a nasty injury that requires a lot of surgery and rehabilitation and the inability to play football for a very long while. However, Donzo was determined to play football again.

During Donzo’s recovery, Phil Roberts was impressed with his determination.

Here’s what most impressed me about his kid. I have never known an athlete more determined. He would wake at 6am, exercise and ice, then breakfast, school, exercise, ice, back to class, come home, exercise and ice and bed. That and weightlifting. A month ago, he was back on the pitch.

Even though Abe Donzo made a light recovery, the injury haunted him.

Sometimes I am said about going to England at all. Am I ready? Maybe I’m discouraged by my knee.

Phil Roberts hoped to get rid of Donzo’s fears by giving his adoptive son some tough love in an attempt to boost his confidence.

It’s you against the world now. You’re black and that counts against you. You’re Canadian and that counts against you. You’re Muslim and that counts against you.

Those words obviously rang in Abe Donzo’s ears as by the time he turned 16, he still had potential. Everton invited him to another trial. And Donzo was more determined than ever to succeed.

I know this is my last chance with Everton. I feel good, skill-wise. The only thing I am worried about is the physical play. They’re big guys and they’re tough.

I’m not the kind of person who gives up.

He looked promising during his fourth and final trial. So promising that Phil Roberts said that Ray Hall likened Donzo to Wayne Rooney.

He told me they were extremely happy with him and inside the box, they did not have a youth player that good. Ray told me Wayne Rooney was the closest they could compare Abe to.

Donzo’s goalscoring ability began to shine by scoring 13 goals in 5 games during his trial. However, his overall footballing ability troubled the Everton coaches. Phil Roberts said Donzo was still learning the game, adding he had been having a difficulty figuring out what the academy coaches want, knowing that the coaches want more from a player than just scoring goals. Abe Donzo, unfortunately, couldn’t do more to impress the coaches and was subsequently released by Everton in 2011 and returned to Ottawa.

What has happened to Abe Donzo since? He continued playing for Ottawa Fury, as well as having a stint at Canadian side FC Mont Bruno. The most recent record of him I can find is a tweet from August 2016, saying that Abe Donzo, while playing for Ottawa-based team Gloucester Celtic, had 3 assists in a game.

 

It wasn’t meant to be for Abe Donzo at Everton. The anterior cruciate ligament injury most definitely played a part – mentally as well as physically. But Donzo is still only 23 years old. There is plenty of time for him to show everyone what he is made of.