Real Madrid star, Vinícius Júnior, don find out say him ancestors dem come from Tikar tribe for Cameroon afta DNA test wey di Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) do with AfricanAncestry.com.
Di test result dem unveil am for Tuesday, November 19, 2024, during one ceremony for Fonte Nova Stadium. Dem give Vinícius certificate wey show him heritage alongside him papa, Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira, and di CBF president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, just before Brazil World Cup qualifier match against Uruguay.
Di initiative na part of CBF Roots of Gold campaign, wey dey celebrate di history and pride of di Afro-Brazilian community, especially for football. As Rodrigues tok for di event, e say, “To celebrate Vini Jr. is to celebrate the success of all Brazilians. By knowing his origins, we reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive society, recognising the fundamental role of Afro-Brazilian culture in our identity and our success in global football.”
Gina Paige, wey be di founder and president of AfricanAncestry.com, talk about how e important make people wey get African roots reconnect back. She tok say, “Vini Jr. carries within him the desire to honour his heritage. However, like many individuals of African descent, his ancestral story has been erased by racism and the legacy of slavery. Through a DNA test, we discovered that Vini Jr.’s ancestors belong to the Tikar tribe in Cameroon.”
She still add say, “We believe that Vini’s reconnection with his African roots is a powerful ‘act of resistance,’ in line with his advocacy for social justice both on and off the football pitch.”
Vinícius papa no hide him happiness as e tok say, “It’s important for us to know where we come from. Many Brazilians don’t know their ancestry or heritage. I’m happy we are from Cameroon too.”
As dem show di moment Vinícius collect him certificate for di big screen for Fonte Nova, di crowd clap well well. To show respect for di roots wey e don discover, Vinícius wear special jersey wey get di flags of Brazil and Cameroon during di match, wey end for 1-1 draw.
