These are difficult images a child should never see. For Ambroise Gboho, they are engraved forever. The child of a family of eleven children was 10 years old when he fled the civil war in Côte d’Ivoire. The whole family arrives in France and settles in Deux-Sèvres: “we had family on my mother’s side who lived in France. We were immediately put up with my aunt before having our own house.“Smiling but modest, the 27-year-old does not dwell on what he has seen and experienced in his native country:”I cannot put into words what I experienced. I don’t wish anyone to see what I saw. I think it shaped me, yes, but I couldn’t tell you what it changed about me“.
Seventeen years after exile, Ambroise Gboho has never returned to his country. At least not yet:no, since I arrived in France, it’s true that I’ve never returned to Côte d’Ivoire. However, my father, my brothers or my sisters go there regularly. But I’m going back there soon because I have my ‘uncles’ waiting for me there.“
Holder of a Scientific Baccalaureate and a STAPS license, Ambroise Gboho chose a career as a footballer. Epinal, Les Herbiers, Belgium, Chambly and now Laval. The beautiful story of a kid who started playing football in the streets of a big city in Côte d’Ivoire.