Musician, league player and national player: Stanley Ratifo in a talk with Katrin Müller-Hohenstein about international ambitions with Mozambique, racism and a career on the microphone.03.02.2024 | 17:20 minutes
Before the start of this year’s Africa Cup, it was reported that twenty kickers employed in Germany were taking part. However, a comparison with the squads of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga resulted in only nineteen players being released for the tournament.
When looking for the 20th player, you had to click through to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg, where you came across Stanley Ratifo from 1. CFR Pforzheim, who played for Mozambique.
Historic goal in the first competitive game
“I tried to enjoy the moment and just absorb everything,” Ratifo described the moments during the national anthem before the first game against Egypt in the current sports studio.
I also thought of many in my family who of course watched at home and did public viewing.
Stanley Ratifo
Ratifo has been revered in Mozambique since he scored the decisive goal in their first win against neighbors Zambia in his first competitive game for the national team in 2017. “After the win we were traveling home and at the airport people suddenly started throwing me up,” he says.
A mother even came to me and wanted me to hold and kiss her child – like I was a saint.
Stanley Ratifo
Bundesliga debut canceled at the last moment
The 29-year-old doesn’t just have something special to offer as a fifth division player in the national jersey. He was introduced as a “dancer in three worlds” during his visit to the current sports studio. In addition to the Oberliga and the African Cup, this includes a career as a rap and RnB musician.
This is one of those things that I’m currently getting very good at.
Stanley Ratifo
This is what he decided to do when he came out of the role as a footballer. Born and raised in Halle an der Saale as the son of a German mother and a Mozambican father, he ended up in the second team of 1. FC Köln as a young adult. He was even close to making his debut in the first team – but then Leonardo Bittencourt, whom he was supposed to replace, reported healthy at the last moment.
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Record contract instead of a professional career
There were no further chances for appearances in the first team and when he dropped out of the U23 due to age, he no longer had the motivation to push through.
I fell into a small hole and then no longer felt like taking on the pressure to perform.
Stanley Ratifo
He signed a new contract anyway, but with a record company in Pforzheim, from where he started his second career. However, he couldn’t stop kicking completely and joined 1. CFR Pforzheim, with whom he is now in seventh place after the first half of the season. In three weeks the start of the second half of the season against ATSV Mutschelbach.
Mutschelbach instead of Real Madrid
“The ambition to win is great,” says Ratifo. “But it’s different when you play with teammates, one of whom is playing with Atletico against Real Madrid at the weekend and my opponent is Mutschelbach.”
3-1 win after falling behind
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FC Bayern still lacks ease. The Tuchel team struggled to a tough 3:1 (1:1) against Mönchengladbach and is still two points behind Leverkusen.
He still wasn’t interested in Liverpool star Mo Salah’s jersey after the surprising 2-2 draw against Egypt. “I’m not that big of a football fan, if I’m honest,” he says.
I would have preferred to swap jerseys with old friends like Ismail Jakobs, who plays for Senegal and played with me at 1. FC Köln.
Stanley Ratifo
The dance continues
In Ivory Coast, Ratifo helped Mozambique secure two surprise draws against Egypt and Ghana. They were eliminated due to the defeat against Cape Verde, but achieved the country’s best ever African Cup result.
Even as a top league player, Ratifo remains the focus of national coach Chiquinho Conde, and so he will continue to commute between three worlds for the time being – with three goals in his luggage: getting promoted to the regional league with Pforzheim, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with Mozambique and as a musician land as many hits as possible.
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