If you were watching the Montreal Impact's 5-1 thumping of the Philadelphia Union last week, you may have caught sight of a Montreal “ball kid” flashing a look of shock and joy as Impact hat-trick hero Didier Drogba celebrated one of his goals right in front of him, near the corner flag.
And if you didn't watch the game, you probably saw the video soon after, as it went viral on social media via GIFs and whatnot.
ImpactMontreal.com caught up with the young fan in question, a 14-year-old named Stanislas Ouedraogo, and it turns out that he has an amazing story of his own.
Like Drogba, Ouedraogo spent much of his childhood in West Africa – in his case, Burkina Faso – and idolized players like “Drogs” and Samuel Eto'o as he and his friends played street soccer. He relocated to Quebec in 2014 and now plays attacking midfielder for youth side Club de Soccer de Longueuil.
His newfound internet stardom after the Philly game was a surprise to him, and a product of spontaneous joy at having a front-row seat on Drogba's heroics.
“I start screaming. When he comes over, I’m surprised, moved. It was unbelievable. I’d always dreamed of seeing Didier up close. And it came true,” he told ImpactMontreal.com's Olivier Tremblay.
Read all about Ouedraogo and his moment in the sun on the Impact's website.
