Living in Afrika is like starting a Football Match at 3-0 down (It gets worse if You’re poor)

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Les Misérables

Life is like a football match. But instead of starting at 0–0 like everyone else, it happens that you’re born in Africa. The scoreboard is already 3–0 against you, and you haven’t even laced your boots yet! By the time you lace up your second-hand boots (or…you know, play barefoot), your opponents are already running drills with the latest Adidas kit. Either way, the whistle blows, and boom, you’re in it. Meanwhile, you’re playing the full 90 minutes with just good vibes and Inshallah.

Here is a quick analysis; The crowd is confused, the commentators are biased, and you haven’t even touched the ball. Spoiler: It’s worse especially if you also come from a poor background without connections. Forget silver spoons, most of us grew up with plastic ones — if we were lucky! It’s 5–0 by the time you’re old enough to spell your own name. Adulthood and social obligations will hammer in a few more goals just to make sure you’re really struggling (are you dead-dead or you’re just not breathing).

But hey, that’s what makes the African spirit so strong, right?

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The Starting Point

• First Goal (1–0): Basic Infrastructure Deficit
  Your country probably has some “infrastructural challenges” — a polite way of saying roads, schools, and hospitals are an adventure. Power cuts are a national sport. Even the Internet connection feels like it’s buffering your destiny. While kids in Europe are worrying about whether their Wi-Fi speed will handle a Netflix binge, we’re here thinking, “Will there be electricity today?” Or worse, when you see dark clouds gathering you know automatically, rain=power outage. If you’ve ever written your homework under candlelight or sprinted to your neighbor’s house to borrow a lantern gather around.
• Second Goal (2–0): Limited Opportunities
  Unemployment? Sky-high. The job market shrugs like, “Nice CV, but no vacancies. Maybe start a chicken farm or something?” Meanwhile, your mates in Europe or the U.S. are getting internships with salaries. And what about the time you browsed a job portal and found 90% of the posts saying, “Open to EU/US residents only”? Sure, Africa has opportunities, but you have to hustle twice as hard to get half as much. And even when you get the degree and experience, the next thing they want is “five years of experience for an entry-level role.”
• Third Goal (3–0): Global Image Problem
  This one is purely psychological. No matter how talented or innovative you are, just say you’re from Africa and people automatically assume you grew up chasing lions. Suddenly people think of safaris, poverty, or charity work. Let’s not sugarcoat it: the world views Africa as “that continent that needs help.” If you tell someone you’re a software developer from Africa, they’ll be like, “Wow! Do you guys have computers there?” It’s a battle to be taken seriously. Nobody assumes someone born in Africa could be a tech genius, a best-selling author, or a global leader. And that’s the worst part: not just the lack of resources, but the lack of belief — the expectation that life here will always be “less”.

The third goal is in — now you’re already struggling to catch up. The match just started, and you’re already wheezing. Earth is hard.

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(4–0)Poverty Has entered the game

Now, let’s say you’re not just born in Africa, but also into a poor family. While your own players are stuck wearing slippers instead of boots, here’s what adds to the misery:

1. Education is on Life Support: If your parents couldn’t afford private schools, welcome to the rollercoaster of underfunded public education. Your school probably doesn’t have textbooks — or worse, teachers. And if it does, the teachers might not show up half the time because their salaries are “pending.” When they do, the class is packed like a nightclub on Saturday night. “Share your textbook with three other students,” as if learning by osmosis is part of the syllabus. Meanwhile, the kid in Finland is studying robotics and AI while sipping hot chocolate in elementary school!
2. Side Hustles from Birth: While other kids are watching cartoons, you’re running errands or selling oranges after school. This is character-building, yes — but at what cost, bro? By the time a kid in, say, Sweden is learning how to swim at summer camp, many African children are already learning how to make ends meet. Whether it’s fetching water from miles away, helping sell vegetables by the roadside, or navigating unreliable power, you get used to multitasking by the time you’re ten.

3. Connections Are Everything (And You Have None)

Here’s the hard truth: In Africa, talent is cool and all, but who you know is much cooler. Got dreams of being the next big entrepreneur? Great — but do you or your dad know anyone in banking or government. If not, it’s game over. The guy with half your hustle gets ahead because his uncle once played golf with someone in the Ministry of Something Important. Meanwhile, you’re still stuck sending “Good morning, Sir” emails to strangers who will never reply.

You could be the sharpest tool in the shed, but without connections, it’s like:

“You have a degree? Great, now do you know anyone in HR?”

“Oh, you want a government contract? Sorry, only cousins of ministers get those.”

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(5–0)“Opportunities? Which Opportunities?”

Opportunity is everything. And it’s no secret that opportunity flows better where resources and stability are abundant. Compare Africa’s struggle with job markets and broken systems to Europe or the U.S., where even if life hits hard, a safety net will catch you or at least a clear career ladder to climb.

In many African countries, you’ve got to be sharp, street-smart, and creative just to survive. Even education here isn’t the smooth escalator to success like it is elsewhere. You study hard, get a degree, but the job market? >Crickets< We grow up knowing Plan A rarely works out, so you’d better have a Plan B, C, and even D ready to roll.

(6–0) Family Obligations: Score One More for the Other Team

Comes from your beloved extended family. In Africa, being poor is not just an individual struggle, it’s a team effort, and the whole clan gets in on the fun. As soon as you show any sign of progress, you’re not just playing your own game; you’re also trying to help your siblings, cousins, and random aunties from the village. This is the time when you will most likely get a phone call from the village about your uncle who swallowed a knife and needs urgent surgery. My God!

Just landed a job? Cool, now send half your salary back home.

Thinking of saving up for something nice? Nope, there is a school fees fundraising for your cousin.

It’s like playing football while carrying your entire team on your back. Score? 6–0.

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Conclusion

But It’s Not All Doom and Gloom

Now, don’t get me wrong — Africa is home to some of the most incredible people, rich cultures, and heartwarming communities you’ll find anywhere on the planet.

Being born in Africa is like being handed a beautiful but complicated puzzle. It has all the potential to be something spectacular — but assembling it takes twice the time and thrice the effort compared to other places.

You learn to appreciate the little things here. Resilience becomes second nature, but wouldn’t it be nice to have opportunities without having to fight tooth and nail for them?

So yes, it’s a disadvantage in many ways. But here’s the catch: if you manage to thrive here, you can thrive anywhere. Africa doesn’t give you a head start, but it does give you a backbone.

The Comeback Spirit: Fighting back at 6–0

But here’s the thing — they might be three goals up, but Africans don’t quit. We’re built different. We may start late, but we play with heart. If life insists on making it 6–0, we play for the comeback of the century. Have you ever seen a footballer play barefoot and still ball out? (I know you have, if not, check your nearby street or field in the neighborhood). That’s the African spirit.

The secret weapon? Resilience. If life keeps handing us red cards, we find ways to play that don’t even involve the pitch. Who needs a proper football field when the street works just fine?

Here’s the strategy:

1. Hustle Mode Activated: Start two businesses and three side hustles. If one doesn’t work, try another. Repeat until something sticks.
2. Connections? Make Them Anyway: Sometimes, the trick isn’t knowing someone — it’s making sure everyone knows you. Become the friendliest person in town. Network like your life depends on it (because it kind of does).
3. Stay in the Game: Even when life feels unfair, keep playing. We’re used to miracles and one lucky break can turn the game around in extra time.

It’s not just about the final score but it’s about the fight. And nobody, nobody, fights harder than a team that’s been playing 3–0 down from the start.

So, if you’re on this team, trust me — you learn to love every hard-earned pass, every improvised strategy, and every moment of joy when you finally get the ball in the back of the net.

And when that victory comes? Oh, the world will know (the celebration will be heard from Cape Town to Cairo).

If you can fight through the chaos and come out on top here, you can play on any pitch in the world.