Another angle has been added to controversy that trailed a shock decision by global football body, FIFA to ‘suspend’ a red card shown to USA’s top striker, Folarin Balogun, as the AS Monaco of France hitman’s dad confessed that he is still happy with the intervention by America’s president, Donald J. Trump.
Sports247 reports that, while many football followers the world over joined Belgium in condemning President Trump’s intervention that led to FIFA’s unprecedented volte face after a player had been red-carded at the World Cup, Mr Ben Balogun is reeling with delight.
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Folarin Balogun went on to play the round of 16 game versus Belgium in the early hours of Tuesday and, though he could not score in Team USA’s horrendous 4-1 loss to the Europeans, the striker’s dad remains happy seeing his son feature in the encounter.
Although the proud dad equally admitted he understands why many people are not happy that the number one American citizen inteferred with decisions at the World Cup, he is delighted that the president helped his son make history.
The striker’s dad also conceded that he does not like the idea of politics being brought into matters of sports, but an elated Ben Balogun told UK’s Daily Mail: “I’m glad that President Trump did what he did – it’s good for America and good for the US team.”
This marks another chapter in the very dramatic life story of Folarin Balogun, who was born on July 3rd, 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, where his parents were on a visit from their base in London, when his mother was seven months pregnant with him.
Part of his biography adds, “Airline staff did not allow her to board the family’s return flight to London due to safety concerns over the advanced state of her pregnancy, and Balogun was subsequently born in New York.
“He returned to the United Kingdom with his parents when he was two months old and grew up in London (and) Balogun joined Arsenal at the age of eight, after being scouted while playing for his previous Sunday League team, Aldersbrook.”
Dramatically, his red card at this World Cup came 24 hours before his 25th birthday, such that his sad moment on what should have been a happy day was eased by Trump’s intervention … only to be dashed 72 hours later by Belgium’s humiliating victory in Seattle.
