Memories take me back to a time when everything was simple. A fake Manchester United jersey bought for me, your name written on the back with a marker, a gesture of shared pride. In Abidjan, life unfolded in tight spaces, with a full house and nights filled with program choices that never reached a consensus. I pretended to sleep just to sneak in and watch the matches, volume very low, in the dark, fueled by dreams of football.
In the neighborhood, my play on the dirt pitch earned me nicknames inspired by great names. I was already obsessed with Cristiano Ronaldo, even though the adults around me associated me with other references. At nine, I left home to join a training center far away, near the Ghanaian border. Life there was tough, marked by scarcity, sometimes even the need to find something to eat.
My first real football boots marked a turning point. Until then, I often played in plastic sandals, even on trips back to the village. You were the one who reminded others not to give up, convinced that hard work would eventually pay off. Together, we built dreams of Europe, success, and stability, believing that one day the situation would change completely.
Later, trials in Europe came and went without success. Several clubs refused to keep me, without a clear explanation. After my visa expired, I returned to Africa, feeling like a project had been interrupted. A few weeks later, an opportunity arose at Leganés, followed by a professional debut marked by a match against Real Madrid.
It was during this time that I received the news of your passing. The shock was immediate, with no preparation possible. I was told you died at 15, in brutal circumstances during an evening. Since that moment, everything changed in how I lived and perceived my career.
Dear Roxane
“I don’t want to be rich”
Since that day, the essentials have no longer been material. The focus became football itself, with the desire to fulfill what we had imagined together. Successive transfers and new career stages followed, but the pitch remains the only space where I find a sense of stability.
🚨 “TODAY I FEEL NOTHING. SINCE YOU DIED, I AM JUST EMPTY…” 🕊️
The deeply moving testimony of Yan Diomandé 🇨🇮 about his little sister Roxane, who passed away at the age of 15:
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑏𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒… pic.twitter.com/TXQmeMt4BQ
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 17, 2026
Before this World Cup match against Germany, I have one goal: to turn this journey into achievement. Every action on the pitch is thought of as a continuation of what we built together. The aim is simple: to make your name live on through every performance, all the way to the highest level.
