OUT OF AFRICA: The U.S. Newest African Pro Footballer
"Soccer is...I just love it," said the newest acquisition of the Cleveland (Ohio) City Stars, Sallieu Bundu. Bundu, a native of Sierra Leone, was recently granted a tryout with the City Stars and proved to the team that is was well worth their time coming away with a contract with the USL-2's City Stars.
The United Soccer Leagues (USL) makes it’s claim as the "largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America" (www.uslsoccer.com). The USL is broken into two tiers; USL-1 and USL-2. They have also established other competitive divisions for amateur development (Professional Development League or PDL), women's amateur, men's and women's amateur and a youth league (Super Youth League or SYL). USL games are currently seen in over 100 cities across North America.
The Cleveland City Stars (www.clevelandcitystars.com), a USL-2 soccer team in the United States, were contacted by Bundu's agent, Justin Stone, about evaluating Bundu as a player. "Sallieu was referred to me by one of my contacts in Columbus, Ohio. I was told that Sallieu's talents were being wasted playing only in pick-up games and local amateur leagues and that he had the ability to play at the professional level. I was glad I could help Sallieu by presenting him to clubs and thankfully Cleveland took a chance on him," says Justin Stone. The City Stars decided to finally give Bundu a tryout after receiving Bundu's CV and discussions with Stone. Bundu's tryout was a great success, as the City Stars evaluations were high enough to earn Bundu a spot on the roster.
Although Bundu obviously had the talent to earn a roster spot, he was somewhat unfamiliar about how to actually go about becoming a professional soccer player in the United States. According to Stone, there are many players who may have the talent to play professionally, but they go unnoticed by clubs, "Most players in the United States become professionals after playing collegiately in the NCAA or NAIA. You also find more and more players turning pro before college or only after a season or two in college who have had success on youth national teams. Sallieu did not fall into either category so his situation made it difficult for him to get noticed." However, with the help of his agent and the City Stars, Bundu was able to reach his goal. When Bundu steps onto the field for the first time with the City Stars, it will not be his first professional exposure however.
Bundu had previously won an open tryout with the Columbus (Ohio) Crew in 2006, but Bundu's MLS opportunities were ultimately cut short due to paperwork issues. Stone explains the unfortunate circumstance, "I was told that there were problems getting proper documentation with the Guinea Football Federation. In Guinea, Sallieu played only for an amateur side, and the United States Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer would not move forward without proof. It ultimately cost Sallieu a contract in MLS." Sallieu also had experience playing for Sierra Leone's senior national team in England against League One side Luton Town where he had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 victory in May 2007. Perhaps Sallieu would have earned more caps with the national team, but returning to Sierra Leonne would jeopardize his ability to become a United States Citizen. Sallieu Bundu is expecting his green card any day which will allow him to leave the United States without worry and perhaps an opportunity to earn more call ups with Leonne Stars. These past experiences helped Bundu during his tryout with Cleveland.
"After the training sessions we were really impressed and wanted to keep him around to work with him some more," said City Stars Head Coach Martin Rennie.
Bundu was equally impressed with the City Stars and Cleveland in general. "The coach spoke nicely to me, so it made me like being here," Bundu said. "Cleveland is a beautiful city, everybody is so nice. This can't compare to Africa right now." Bundu's home, Sierra Leone, is a war torn country in the middle of a power struggle at the present time. "The problem in Sierra Leone was the government," said Bundu.
When Bundu was a young boy, he and his mother walked ten days until they crossed over into Guinea to escape the daily hardships of living in Sierra Leone. In Guinea, Bundu and his mother spent five years as refugees until his brother was able to bring them to America. Bundu and his mother are currently living in the United States, but the whereabouts of his father are still unknown. "My two brothers and sisters are in Guinea, we talk to them all the time," said Bundu. "When my mother wanted to leave Sierra Leone, my father couldn't go. We aren't sure if he is still alive."
Although Bundu is uncertain about his father, his mother's health was one of his many reasons for coming to the United States. "My mother was very sick, I wanted to bring her to America so I could get her treatment here," said Bundu. So not only has Bundu on his way to accomplishing a childhood dream of becoming a professional soccer player, but he is very happy with his new start in the U.S., which has become a reoccurring theme for the City Stars. "The City Stars actually started in Africa," said Rennie. "The three of us, Aaron Tredway (executive director), Mark Geissbauer (General Manager) and myself met on a trip to Mozambique. We were there to play soccer and work with underprivileged children and with orphanages across the country."
The connection with players from Africa goes further then just Bundu. Four players on the City Stars 2007 roster spent time playing in Africa following the USL season. Stephen Rigby and Ian Leibbrant played in the Kenyan Premiership while Skelly Keller and Brandon Moncrief played in South Africa. The City Stars also recently signed the captain of the Kenyan National Team, Musa Otieno.
"Our general manager still has a lot of close ties with Africa," said Rennie. "He is leading a soccer-project for street-children in Maputo (Mozambique), where he works with approximately 400 kids on a weekly basis." "It was our plan from the start to positively impact our community, be successful on the field and to help move players to a higher level," said General Manager Mark Geissbauer.
Bundu probably feels that the City Stars have met these goals. "I love to play here," he said. "When I found out I made the team, I was very excited. I called my mother, my older brother and my girlfriend. Everyone was so excited, I was so happy, so so happy."
To many, granting Bundu a tryout with the City Stars may have just appeared like a daily transaction for the team. However, for Bundu and his family, it has become more than that, it has become a life changing experience.
The 24 year-old native of Sierra Leone took a big risk when leaving his country, but his dreams of a new start and a better life have come true, with the help of the USL's Cleveland City Stars, who seem to be following their motto of "Serving the City & Changing the World" very well.