Ghana and VfL Wolfsburg defender Jonas Adjei Adjetey has opened up on the sacrifices he made to become a professional footballer, revealing that he had to secretly pursue his dream because his mother was initially against the idea.
The Wolfsburg centre-back, who joined the Bundesliga club from Swiss side FC Basel during the winter transfer window, said his mother’s own experiences as a former athlete influenced her reluctance to support his football ambitions.
Speaking on the Beyond the Whistle podcast, Adjetey explained that he had to rely on the help of others to continue chasing his dream.
“I sometimes needed to sneak. My mom was also an athlete at home, so she had experienced a lot of heartbreak, like not getting anyone to support her in things like this. She wasn’t in support of me being a sportsman, so I had to engage some people to help me give it a try to see if things worked out and by the grace of God today I’m here,” he said.
The 21-year-old also disclosed that he did not complete his education and even worked part-time at a sales shop before deciding to fully commit to football.
“I didn’t really finish school. I had a part-time job at a sales shop at a certain point to further my education, but I later realised this is not what I wanted to do,” he added.
Adjetey’s decision has paid off, with the defender earning a move to Wolfsburg and becoming a regular for the Black Stars at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He has featured in all three of Ghana’s group-stage matches and is expected to play a key role when the Black Stars face Colombia in the Round of 32.
