Sunderland winger left stranded abroad at 12 after family tricked in cruel academy scam

Sunderland winger Simon Adingra has shared the incredible story of how he was left stranded in a foreign country at the age of just 12 after his family were tricked by a cruel football academy scam.

The Ivory Coast international, who is now at the World Cup having not been selected for the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, has enjoyed a remarkable rise in the game. But his route to the top was anything but straightforward, with Adingra forced to fend for himself in Benin as a child after promises of an academy pathway turned out to be false.

Adingra has previously explained how he and nine other young players travelled from Ivory Coast to Benin after being led to believe they would be joining an academy. Instead, they were abandoned with no accommodation, no support and no money for food.

“This guy was a crook,” Adingra said. “He made it all up and left with our money. There was no academy or accommodation for us on site. All 10 of us were in Benin, at the age of 12, left to our own devices without anyone’s help. We didn’t even have money to feed ourselves.

“There were then two possibilities: either return to Ivory Coast, or wait and see if an opportunity came along. We decided to all stay together and do odd jobs to start earning money. We washed plates in restaurants in exchange for a little money and meals.”

Adingra’s story eventually took a significant turn when he and the other youngsters were helped by a fellow Ivorian, who recognised their accent while they were walking through the street. The man stepped in to help them find accommodation and later helped create a football set-up around the group, giving Adingra and the others a chance to continue playing.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Adingra added: “We were walking down the street and a guy who studied in Ivory Coast recognised our Ivorian accent. He did everything to find us another house and had the idea of creating a small football academy with the nine young people and me. Over time, other players joined the centre, and it became a real academy in Benin.”

That moment proved decisive. Adingra later travelled to a tournament in Ghana, where he was spotted by the highly-regarded Right to Dream academy - a move that changed the direction of his career. From there, the forward’s rise continued through Danish side Nordsjaelland and Brighton & Hove Albion before his move to Sunderland.

On 28 December 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw at home against Leeds United, but Adingra then joined Monaco for an initial loan fee of £870,000, with an option to buy for £16million last winter after failing to break into Règis Le Bris’ starting XI regularly.

Your next Sunderland read – James Copley’s notebook: David Bruce shows class, dealing with agents, Newcastle dominance and global fans