World Cup star Coumba Sow about everyday racism: “You are too white in Senegal and too dark here”

class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>

Christian Finkbeinerfootball boss

Blick: Coumba Sow, despite a complicated season you are a regular at the World Cup. Are you surprised?
Coumba sow: It wasn’t exactly a complicated season for me. I’ve always played the past few months, just not in my usual position. But I also learned to play in other positions. The switch during the winter break with the move was a bit heavier. But I knew what I had shown in the national team in the last four years and I wanted to prove myself.

Did you know that you are not sure of your place in the World Cup selection and that you have to accelerate?
Yes. But I realized that everyone has to show what they can do in training and that status doesn’t mean much. I’m okay with that, so you have to prove yourself over and over again. That’s the only way to get better. I saw it as a challenge.

Everyday racism, which you have experienced and discussed many times, is always a challenge. How do you notice this?
As a mixed race you are too white in Senegal and too dark here. Thanks to my family in Senegal, I feel like I belong, but you are the foreigner. But you are also the foreigner in Switzerland. Only when they notice that you play in the Swiss national team does the discourse change.

How do you react in such situations?
Inside I’m still cooking, but outside I try to react as cool as possible. But it also always depends on who you are traveling with.

Why do you manage to keep your cool?
Because it has happened many times and it will happen a thousand more times. If you yell like a “black angry woman”, they win. Because that’s how they think about you, that’s how they talk about you. I’ll come down, stay professional, so they can question themselves. But there are people who don’t want to understand.

You have lived in the US for a long time. How did you experience racism there?
It was very shocking. In certain neighborhoods it is better to stay in your house because you can be shot at any moment. The image many have is of home and deep down. That needs to be dismantled. You also have to start from ideas that are simply passed on, and that also applies to schools. History is always told from the point of view of white Americans or Europeans, although there is a rich African history. But you have to teach yourself this.

They also lived in the Midwest, in Oklahoma.
There they are partly open to the fact that they are racist and refer to freedom of expression. I think they are afraid that something will be taken from them. But there were also beautiful moments – at the universities, with all those different athletes and nationalities, none of that matters. But you move in a bubble.

Now you live in Switzerland again. How did the transfer to FC Basel come about?
They put a lot into the project and attracted good players. I know Theo (Karapetsas, ed.) from the past, he didn’t give up. I’ve been away for nine years, it’s nice to be closer to the family again. I really want to be in a managerial position. In terms of EM 2025, it’s a good move.

How well do you know trainer Kim Kulig?
The conversation with Kim was crucial. I had a super good feeling when I talked to her on the phone. It is important that it suits the trainer.

You are from Zurich. How many statements did you have to listen to?
This continues to this day, for example from Fabi (Humm, ed.). And of course it was also an issue at home. My father still walks around in the FCZ cap that he used to watch my matches at Servette.

Has there been contact with the FCZ?
Yes, but financially things looked better in Basel. I am also starting a correspondence course in sports management and economics. You have to have something when you’re done playing football.

Have you also returned to Switzerland because Inka Grings relies on Super League players?
She relies on players playing. It is better to play for a good club in Switzerland than to sit on the bench abroad.

The World Cup really started on Friday. The lead time down here was long.
I never get bored. We train and regenerate a lot, and occasionally have a cup of coffee in town. Last training, match, then travel again. Actually, it’s going too fast. After the EM (2022 in England, ed.) We were at the airport and everyone almost cried because we didn’t want to go home.

More about the World Cup

“The taboo must disappear”

How the menstrual cycle affects nationality

Watch out for Ada Hegerberg!

The Norwegian star is uncomfortable both on and off the pitch

Norway has its back against the wall. What kind of game do you expect?
They will come with everything they have. They have an individual class in the front. We must be ready. But if we continue as we started, we have a good chance of winning.

Source : Blick

Emma

I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.