When Jinaid left his home in Nigeria for Tajikistan last year, he thought he was traveling to Central Asia to pursue a career in professional soccer.
But the 21-year-old’s adventure didn’t turn out quite as planned. After spending hundreds of dollars to fulfill his dream, Jinaid is now stranded in Dushanbe with no job and no money.
“Now, I’m struggling without doing anything,” Jinaid says. “I’m hungry, my visa has expired. Nothing to do.”
Jinaid is among a group of at least 10 Nigerians who have traveled to Tajikistan in the past three years, seeking to join soccer clubs and make a decent living. Some of them did play for Tajik teams, but they complain that what they got fell far short of expectations.
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