Lassina Traoré: "My performance is part of Ajax's history"

Burkinabè Lassina Traoré, in February 2020. JAVIER SORIANO / AFP

Text by: Martin Guez

4 min

Lassina Traoré made Ajax Amsterdam history on October 24, 2020 by scoring 5 goals and delivering 3 assists in a 13-0 victory over VVV Venlo, in the Dutch Championship.

The day after this incredible performance, the 19-year-old Burkinabè striker was still on his own, as he told Mondial Sports.

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Lassina Traoré

Yes.

I have received a lot of messages from my friends and from people in the football world.

It's obviously fun!

[…] I'm used to scoring goals but what happened yesterday is really exceptional.

It's gone down in Ajax's history.

This is something very new to me.

You are the first Ajax player to score at least five goals in a Dutch Championship game since Marco van Basten in 1985. You weren't even born.

How does it feel to see your name associated with that of such a legend

I was really surprised after the game.

I was informed of this performance.

It was extremely moving.

[…] I have never seen him play.

But I have seen videos and we often talk about him in the locker room.

So, I have a bit of an idea of ​​his person.

In addition to your five goals, you have delivered three assists.

What type of attacker are you

I'm a bit of a passer because I like to drop out.

Because when you're isolated in attack, it's a bit difficult to touch the ball.

So, you have to drop out to combine.

This is one of my strengths.

I use it well, for the moment.

Can you tell us how you started football in Bobo-Dioulasso, before joining the Rahimo FC training center

First of all, I accompanied my mom to the football field because she was a professional player.

She was captain of the women's national team.

My father was a player too, but I didn't see him play.

So I loved the ball from the start.

I was born with it.

Afterwards, I started playing football in my neighborhood, at school… Fortunately, thank God, I met my uncle, Rahim

.

He took me to his training center.

Today, football has become a profession.

In fact, have you always had talent?

Yes, from a very young age, I was good at football.

I was captain and the top scorer every time in my generation.

I always tried to score as many goals as possible.

One day, I even scored 11 out of the 22 on my team!

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Burkinabè Lassina Traoré scores 5 goals, Ajax Amsterdam wins 13-0