Homeless In Abidjan To World Cup Hope Via Hackney Marshes - Rise Of Qpr's Kone

Fewer than 2 years ago, Richard Kone was playing successful nan ninth tier of English football. Now he is an Ivory Coast international.

The Queens Park Rangers striker's emergence to nan apical is made each nan much singular by nan truth he was bum astatine nan property of 16.

In 2019, Kone was conscionable trying to past connected nan streets of Abidjan.

If selected for nan nationalist squad again successful nan summer, he will beryllium playing astatine nan 2026 World Cup successful nan United States, Canada and Mexico.

From homelessness to his first world headdress via measurement 5 of non-league football, winning League One subordinate of nan twelvemonth and moving to nan Championship, nan 22-year-old's travel truthful acold has been incredible.

"It is terribly difficult being bum successful my country," Kone said of sleeping unsmooth successful Abidjan, a metropolis connected nan southbound seashore of Ivory Coast.

"Some group won't talk pinch you erstwhile you effort to inquire for a small spot of thief aliases a small spot of money."

But 1 friend did yet thief Kone by recognising his imaginable and introducing him to nan president of Ivory Coast's thoroughfare shot inaugural called Don't Forget Them Association.

After moving difficult and training each day, it yet led to Kone's action to correspond his state astatine nan Homeless World Cup successful Cardiff successful 2019.

The tourney successful nan UK was nan first clip he had near nan country, fto unsocial flown connected a plane.

It would beryllium to beryllium nan watershed infinitesimal successful Kone's shot career.

Following nan Homeless World Cup, a 16-year-old Kone moved to Hackney successful eastbound London.

And it was location that a purely chance brushwood would lead him to motion for non-league broadside Athletic Newham successful nan Eastern Counties League Division One South - nan 10th tier of nan English shot pyramid.

"Richard Kone's communicative pinch Athletic Newham began successful nan astir unexpected of places… Hackney Marshes," Athletic Newham president Kennedy Tavares told BBC Sport.

"He was location playing shot connected his ain erstwhile I noticed him. Something astir Richard stood retired immediately.

"I invited him to travel and train pinch nan squad and from that infinitesimal we ne'er looked back. What followed was an unthinkable spell astatine nan club."

Kone instantly deed nan crushed moving pinch a hat-trick connected his debut against Fire United successful September 2019.

"It was nan cleanable preamble to a subordinate who would spell connected to specify an era for us," said Tavares.

Kone went connected to people 25 goals successful 40 games crossed each competitions successful his first 2 seasons, helping Athletic Newham triumph promotion to nan Essex Senior League successful 2021.

His goalscoring prowess continued to improve, netting 82 times successful 90 games crossed nan pursuing 2 seasons.

By nan extremity of nan 2022-23 campaign, master clubs couldn't thief but guidelines up and return announcement of Kone's prolific finishing ability.

That summer, League One nine Wycombe Wanderers took Kone connected an extended trial.

He bagged a further 18 goals successful 18 games for Athletic Newham successful nan months that followed and successful January 2024, Kone signed for nan Chairboys aged 20.

The rest, arsenic they say, is history.

And Kone rather virtually made history successful his first afloat play astatine Wycombe arsenic he scored nan club's fastest-ever EFL hat-trick wrong 9 minutes successful a 3-1 triumph complete Peterborough successful October 2024.

Kone ended past play pinch 21 goals successful each competitions, including 18 convention goals and 3 assists, arsenic Wycombe reached nan play-off semi-finals.

His exploits saw him triumph some League One subordinate and young subordinate of nan play for 2024-25 astatine the EFL Awards, arsenic good arsenic being named successful nan squad of nan season.

He was besides later named nan PFA League One subordinate of nan twelvemonth successful August.

"It's an unbelievable achievement," Kone told BBC Sport aft nan EFL Awards successful April this year.

"I wouldn't person thought of this 2 years agone and to beryllium opinionated present winning not 1 but 2 awards and to beryllium successful nan squad of nan play is conscionable amazing.

"I'm really proud of myself. I americium conscionable enjoying nan moment."

Kone's emergence to go 1 of nan astir sought-after strikers successful nan EFL was described arsenic "nothing short of remarkable" by BBC Three Counties Radio commentator Sam Avery.

"For personification who was brought successful arsenic an chartless amount and from nan ninth tier, Kone quickly established himself arsenic an important subordinate and very awesome goalscorer," Avery said.

"He was highly humble during his clip astatine Wycombe, moreover erstwhile nan spotlight was connected him, taking everything successful his stride and showing maturity beyond his years."

It seems Kone's characteristic is thing that has ne'er wavered passim his profession truthful far, sloppy of wherever he is playing his football.

"Richard was nan type of subordinate who simply loved nan game," said Tavares.

"Always eager to learn, ever unfastened to proposal - not conscionable from coaches, but from anyone astir nan club. His attitude, hunger and humility made him a joyousness to activity with."

Several Championship clubs were linked pinch Kone pursuing an fantabulous 18 months astatine Wycombe and successful August, it was QPR who secured his signature.

As has been nan lawsuit passim Kone's rollercoaster travel complete nan past 2 years, different milestone - and possibly nan biggest of them each - was conscionable astir nan corner.

His first Ivory Coast elder call-up and debut.

Three months connected from joining nan Hoops, Kone sewage nan telephone each subordinate dreams of and made his first world quality arsenic a 62nd-minute substitute successful a 2-0 friends triumph against Oman successful Al-Seeb connected 18 November.

"That's what I'm playing shot for, to correspond my state astatine world level," Kone told nan Rising Ballers YouTube channel, external aft signing for QPR.

"Afcon, possibly nan World Cup… that's why I americium ever fighting, trying to beryllium nan champion truthful I tin get a call-up."

Tavares said everyone astatine Athletic Newham "always knew Kone had thing special".

"His advancement is nary astonishment to those who saw him each time and yet he has earned nan opportunity he deserved," he added.

"A singular travel and 1 we are proud to person been portion of."

Kone still hasn't forgotten wherever it each started for him astatine nan Homeless World Cup six years agone and said playing astatine nan arena was "life-changing".

"It gave maine nan level to turn and group maine connected nan profession way to wherever I americium today," he said.

Homeless World Cup organisers said they person "watched pinch tremendous pride" arsenic Kone has risen from non-league to go an international.

"Richard's communicative shows nan existent imaginable of each azygous subordinate who comes done our tournament, that pinch opportunity, support and belief, bonzer things tin happen," said spokesperson Matthew Williams.

"Richard embodies nan tone of nan Homeless World Cup and his occurrence is simply a testament to nan life-changing effect shot tin have."

While astatine nan tourney successful 2019, Kone had said would for illustration to spell backmost to schoolhouse and "maybe go a lawyer aliases doctor".

Now nan biggest shape successful world shot could await him successful 7 months' time.