Bara Sapoko Ndiaye's long journey to FC Bayern

From a small town in Senegal to the big stage of the Bundesliga: Bara Sapoko Ndiaye made his debut FC Bayern in April – and his success story encourages children in his home country to believe in their dreams.

Bara Sapoko Ndiaye was ready when his number 39 lit up on the substitution board at the Millerntor in the 84^th minute. The young Senegalese looked up, had a final word with head coach Vincent Kompany and came on for Jamal Musiala. When Bara made his debut for FC Bayern in the Bundesliga, there was no holding back thousands of kilometres further south in Gambia. At his former youth academy, children in front of screens celebrated his substitution, dancing on tables and shouting his name. Videos of it went viral on social media shortly after the match. Bara’s big dream, shared by many young players in his home country, has come true.

Three days earlier, Bara was sitting in an inconspicuous room at Säbener Straße, just behind the cinema where the video analyses take place. White walls, a blackboard, two tables, a bookshelf, a TV. A quote from Muhammad Ali is taped to the ceiling. This is where Bara’s German lessons take place. The 18-year-old sat casually at a table in his training gear, wearing shorts, a sweatshirt and slippers, with German teacher Max Steegmüller across from him.

Today, grammar is on the agenda: regular and irregular verbs, different tenses. The two mainly speak German but resort to English or French when necessary.

“He’s very focused and absolutely motivated to learn German,” says Steegmüller. Bara has been having regular lessons since last October, three to four times a week, for between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the schedule. When he was in Gambia for a few weeks, he arranged online lessons and would have liked to study every day. “It got to the point where I had to slow himdown because he wanted to study even on Sundays,” said Steegmüller. He looked ahead at the end of the lesson: “Next season, we’ll do your first interview in German.” Bara didn’t hesitate: “Let’s do it.” A handshake sealed the deal.

Bara took to the pitch shortly afterwards, training with the pros as usual. Sessions with Michael Olise, Harry Kane & Co. have become part of his daily routine, but just a few months ago, he was training in completely different conditions on another continent. “I always played against lads the same age as me in Gambia. Here, I train with world-class players and have a top coach in Vincent Kompany. I really enjoy it and see it as a big chance,” says Bara. He learned the trade at Gambinos Stars Africa in Gambia. Since 2023, the academy has been collaborating with Red&Gold Football, a joint venture between FC Bayern and Los Angeles FC for international talent development. This opened the door to Europe for Bara early on.

In 2025, he had been training with the FC Bayern reserves and U19s for two months and completed his first few sessions with the pros. He joined Grasshopper Club Zurich in summer, taking part in pre-season and making appearances in friendlies against Celta Vigo and FC Bayern. He had his first milestone last winter when he joined FC Bayern on loan from Gambinos Stars Africa and has been part of the pro squad since then.

FC Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund knew the signing of the central midfielder was the right decision early on. “We wanted to get a clearer picture and give him time to settle in here, which is why we signed him in the winter,” says Freund: “In hindsight, that was definitely the right decision. We see week after week he’s adapting better and better. He has quickly become a good part of the team.” Head coach Vincent Kompany too praises the Senegalese: “He’s a young talent who provides a lot of pace as a midfielder. Things are going well for him.” Bara broke the speed record at the FC Bayern Campus when he was clocked at more then 36 km/h. “Bara has a really good character and gets along well in the dressing room. He’s very committed and hard-working – both on and off the pitch,” says Freund. “It was important to him from the start to be able to communicate. It’s anything but a matter of course that he settled in so quickly here – especially for someone from another continent.”

Bara underwent treatment after training, followed by a meeting. In the late afternoon, he got into his car to head back to the Campus. He has been living in a room there since moving to Munich. During the ride, Bara talked about what a huge step it was from Africa to Germany: a new country, a different climate, a foreign culture. “I had to get used to the weather first. I miss the food, but first and foremost my family and friends,” he says.

He had to learn to stand on his own from an early age. He took his first steps in football in Senegal, where he lived with his mother and siblings in a small town near the capital, Dakar. Whether at home, at school or in his free time – the ball was always there. “The pitches weren’t good, but we still had a lot of fun,” says Bara. He mostly played with his cousins or other children from his neighbourhood until he took part in a Gambinos training session one day and was spotted by scouts. After a three-week trial, he as accepted in 2022. He kept returning to Gambinos for extended periods and was provided with accomodation, meals and education at the academy. His mother stayed in Senegal. “It was very hard for me, I have a very close relationship with her. Everything I do, I do for her too,” says Bara. They speak on the phone almost every day, after his debut as well of course. Besides his mother, his faith gives him strength. “I’m firmly convinced God has played a decisive role in bringing me to where I am today,” says Bara. Which is why Bara has brought a Bible from his home country to Munich.

He quickly settled in at FC Bayern despite the major change. At first he was apprehensive of the move. “I was very nervous during my first training session with the pros. Besides, I came here with an injury, it wasn’t so easy for me,” he recalls. But the team gave him a warm welcome. It made his start much easier that many players speak French, including his compatriot Nicolas Jackson, Raphaël Guerreiro, Jonathan Tah and France internationals Michael Olise und Dayot Upamecano. Bara has already eaten out with the latter on several occasions, he is “like an older brother” for Bara. They share roots: both Bara’s and Upamecano’s mother come from the same town in Guinea-Bissau. Many talks with the coaching staff and head coach Vincent Kompany, who also speaks French, helped him settle in. One piece of advice from the Belgian has stayed with him in particular: “Keep working hard and always try to do more than the others. That’s what makes the difference.”

That’s why Bara puts football above everything else. He spends most of his daily life between Säbener Straße and the Campus. He likes to eat out and watch anime in his free time. He has a clear goal: “I want to play at the highest level and feature for Senegal one day.” Then children in Gambia will surely be dancing on tables again.

This article originally appeared in a different version in the members' magazine ‘51’.