INTERVIEW – EXCLUSIVE ON BLOKTVGAMBIE
“ADNAN AZIZ — THE UNBROKEN ROAD: FROM BENIN TO EUROPE, THROUGH PAIN, FAILURE, RESILIENCE AND THE DREAM REBORN”
BlokTVGambie is proud to present an exceptional long-format interview with Adnan Aziz, one of the most resilient, overlooked, and misunderstood young talents of West African football. A player whose career has been shaped not by privilege, but by obstacles — administrative battles, injuries, transfers that collapsed at the last minute, and the constant necessity to prove himself again and again.
This is not just an interview.
It is the intimate journey of a footballer who has lived more challenges at 23 years old than some players face in an entire career.
It is the story of a boy who started on dusty fields in Benin and fought his way to France, Italy, and eventually towards the Nigerian Premier League — before seeing a dream collapse in the last hours of the mercato.
Yet, nothing broke him.
Nothing stopped him.
Nothing changed the fire.
Today, Adnan Aziz sits down with BlokTVGambie for a brutally honest, powerful, and deeply emotional 20-minute interview.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: Adnan, let’s start from the beginning. Before Europe, before the trials, before the injuries… who was the young Adnan in Benin?
Adnan Aziz:
I grew up as a child of football — not because it was easy, but because it was my only weapon. In 2014, I started my formation with Soleil FC Benin and later Tchemabi FC Benin. Those clubs shaped me. We didn’t have perfect pitches, perfect equipment, or perfect conditions, but we had heart.
At that time, I didn’t even truly understand the football world. I only knew one thing: I wanted to play. I wanted to fight. I wanted to leave something behind. My dreams were bigger than my surroundings, and football was the only door I saw.
Those years built my foundation — technique, discipline, but mostly hunger.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: In 2018, you left Benin and went to France. How did that change your life?
Adnan:
My move to Angers MFC France in 2018 was the first time I realized that football is not just a talent — it’s a system, a culture, and a battlefield. Everything changed: the tempo, the physical intensity, the tactical intelligence, the demands outside the pitch.
I was a young African boy arriving with nothing except hope. I had no family around, no stability, no guaranteed future. But I had work ethic, and that saved me.
I learned fast. I adapted. I sacrificed.
Those years in Angers made me a real footballer — not just a street player with talent.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: Then came 2021 — your transfer to Saumur Olympique in France, National 2. What did this step represent?
Adnan:
It was my first real professional environment, my first taste of structured European competition. National 2 is a tough league — physical, aggressive, mature.
At Saumur Olympique, I understood professional responsibility. You are judged every week, every training session. There is no room for excuses. You must perform or lose your spot. It was a school of discipline.
I grew in confidence, in personality, and in understanding the game at a higher level.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: In 2022, a new adventure — ASD Juvenilia Roseto in Italy, 5th division. How did that chapter begin and eventually change your life?
Adnan:
Italy was supposed to be my rebirth — a new country, new style, new opportunity. I signed for ASD JUVENILIA ROSETO with ambition and excitement. But life had a different plan.
In 2022, I suffered a serious knee injury.
The kind no player wants to hear about.
The kind that makes you question everything.
I needed surgery. I saw everything stop around me — matches, training, progression. I spent months in rehabilitation rooms instead of on the pitch. I watched my teammates playing while I fought pain and doubt.
That injury changed me forever.
It made me mentally stronger.
It forced me to rebuild myself from zero.
It showed me that football is not just physical — it is emotional, psychological, spiritual.
I survived that dark period. And that’s why I’m still here.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: Despite the injury, you were selected for the Benin U23 national team in 2022. How did that feel?
Adnan:
It was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Getting selected for the Benin U23 national team for the preparation of the 2023 U23 AFCON qualifiers in Morocco… that was recognition. It meant: “We see you. We believe in you.”
Even though I was injured, I carried that honor with pride. It reminded me that my journey had meaning.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: Let’s talk about the most recent event — the failed transfer to the Nigerian Premier League in 2026. What exactly happened?
Adnan:
That transfer was supposed to be a new beginning. Everything was ready. Contract negotiations progressed well. I was excited. Nigeria’s Premier League is competitive, respected, full of exposure.
But in the final hours of the mercato, everything collapsed.
There was a final disagreement between the parties and — the biggest problem — the FIFA International Transfer Certificate (ITC) did not arrive on time. Without that document, I could not be registered before the official closing of the transfer window.
It was heartbreaking.
Imagine preparing mentally, physically, emotionally… only to see the door shut because of administrative delays.
But I didn’t break.
I told myself:
“If a door closes, it means a better one is opening soon.”
BLOKTVGAMBIE: How do you deal with repeated disappointments — injuries, failed transfers, moments of uncertainty?
Adnan:
Because I know who I am.
Because I know where I come from.
Because I know what I’ve survived.
I survived injuries.
I survived distance.
I survived criticism.
I survived a transfer collapse.
I learned that mental strength is the real secret of football. Not speed, not technique, not power — but mentality.
I don’t panic anymore.
I don’t complain.
I don’t blame anyone.
I focus on the next opportunity.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: What keeps you going? What keeps the fire alive inside you?
Adnan:
My hunger.
My dream.
My belief.
My family.
My identity.
My journey.
I didn’t suffer all this just to stay silent. I didn’t fight all this just to quit now.
Every morning when I wake up, I remind myself:
“You didn’t come this far to only come this far.”
BLOKTVGAMBIE: What’s next for you? What should the football world expect from Adnan Aziz?
Adnan:
I am ready for the next chapter.
My body is ready.
My mind is ready.
My hunger is stronger than ever.
The next step will be announced soon.
I am open to new challenges — professional, competitive, ambitious. Whether it’s Africa, Europe, or elsewhere, I will go where I am wanted, where I can grow, and where I can show my true level.
The world hasn’t seen the best of me yet.
Not even close.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: What message do you send to clubs, scouts, and agents who are reading this interview?
Adnan:
Look at my journey.
Look at my resilience.
Look at my determination.
I am not just a player.
I am a survivor.
I am a fighter.
I am a competitor.
I am a man who turns obstacles into energy.
If you sign me, you sign a warrior.
A professional.
A leader.
A player who never gives up.
I’m ready.
BLOKTVGAMBIE: And finally… what is your message to young African players facing some of the same challenges you’ve survived?
Adnan:
Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot become.
Don’t let failure define you.
Don’t let injury break you.
Don’t let paperwork discourage you.
Don’t let people’s opinion shape your destiny.
Dream big but work even bigger.
Respect football.
Respect yourself.
Stay humble.
Stay disciplined.
Stay ready.
Your time will come.
Mine is coming — very soon.
CONCLUSION — BLOKTVGAMBIE SPECIAL FEATURE
This interview is more than a story.
It is a statement.
A declaration of resilience, ambition, and faith.
Adnan Aziz represents a generation of African footballers who fight invisible battles behind the scenes — visas, documents, injuries, financial pressure, long waits, and endless sacrifices. Yet he remains unbroken.
His journey is not over.
His dream is not finished.
His rise is only beginning.
The world should remember his name.
Because the next chapter is already writing itself.
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