By Angu Lesley Ngwa Akonwi
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
The images circulating from Gagnoa in Côte d’Ivoire are as heartbreaking as they are sobering. Bobley Anderson — once a rising star of Ivorian football, once a midfielder whose delicate touch graced stadiums in Morocco and Spain — is said to now be wandering the streets of his hometown in a state described by those close to him as a “severe mental health crisis.” For a player who dazzled at Wydad Casablanca and earned his move to Málaga in La Liga, the contrast between the past and the present feels painfully stark.
Those who knew Anderson during his peak speak of a footballer blessed with intuition, flair and courage. At Wydad, his ability to glide past markers made him a fan favourite. In Spain, he represented a new wave of Ivorian talents reaching elite European football — a symbol of promise for a generation from Gagnoa who saw in him a mirror of their own dreams. Yet as his career slowed and injuries crept in, the once-bright path seemed to dim. Post-football transitions are difficult for many former players, but in Anderson’s case, close associates say the decline was sudden, severe and frightening.
Today, locals in Gagnoa describe a former star seen roaming neighbourhoods aimlessly, disoriented, unrecognisable from the disciplined professional he once was. The small city that once celebrated him now watches on helplessly, caught between admiration for the man he used to be and concern for the one he has become. Mental health remains a deeply misunderstood subject in many African communities, and Anderson’s reported condition has triggered a painful conversation — one long avoided in the football ecosystem.
Former teammates have begun privately calling for urgent intervention, insisting that the 33-year-old deserves support, care and dignity. Among fans, there is a growing hope that the Ivorian football fraternity, his former clubs and the country’s health structures will step in to offer help. Football, after all, is quick to celebrate talent at its peak — but its true measure lies in how it protects its own when the applause fades.
For now, the streets of Gagnoa bear silent witness to a man fighting an invisible enemy. Bobley Anderson’s story is no longer just about football; it is a reminder of the fragility of sporting careers, the weight of expectations and the urgent need to prioritise mental health in African sport. Hisi journey, once defined by goals and glory, now calls for compassion — and a collective responsibility to help one of Ivorian football’s own find his way back.
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