Once abandoned by his own father, he lived with his mother in a boarding house
Born and raised in the poor countryside of Cu Chi district (HCMC), the player born in 2000 has two Vietnamese and French bloodlines since he was 2 years old and was abandoned by his biological father. At that time, the family was in trouble, so the Cu Chi boy had to follow his mother to live in the boarding house for days.
Until now, Tieu Exal has not been able to ease his hatred for his father. According to this player, thanks to his relatives, he knew that his father was living in France. Exal was the one who took the initiative to contact his father first, but did not have much emotion when he met once more. In 2018, they met in Vietnam, but under a different name, “father came to visit me but told his new wife that he was back to divorce his ex-wife”.
They don’t talk much, because perhaps he still hasn’t forgotten the feeling of being abandoned since childhood. The lack of love from his father makes Tieu Exal love and appreciate his stepfather more. That is also the reason why every time I talk regarding this player’s mother and stepfather, I can’t hold back tears. “I love my stepfather a lot because he can’t have children, I consider him as my biological father and vice versa.”
The very name Tieu Exal also made the students of Coach Chung Hae-seong very self-deprecating. Different skin color, blond hair and the Tieu family make Exal always ridiculed and teased by his peers, but when he grows up, he takes it as pride because of the uniqueness that not everyone can enjoy. Have.
Come to professional football following watching the program of coach Dang Phuong Nam
Tieu Exal to football is also very special, happened to see the program of coach Dang Phuong Nam teaching football to Viettel players on television, passion for football rose up with the 10-year-old boy.
After that, he was swept up in football games following school every hour, was beaten by his mother because he was busy running on the field, but his passion helped Exal convince his parents to follow the king’s sport. Playing more prominently than his peers helped Exal pass through 3 rounds of enrollment to officially practice in the youth training furnace in Ho Chi Minh City.
In 2012, this was the first time the boy in the district was able to go to Thong Nhat Stadium, where the person who discovered Tieu Exal’s talent was the deceased former coach Tran Hai Nam.
Entering the professional football environment opens up both opportunities and challenges. His gentle nature makes him often bullied by his teammates. Only 12 years old, but Exal had to wash clothes for the older brothers, every time his mother sent food and milk, he was “robbed”. Missing home, feeling sorry for himself, but he never dared to tell his mother because he was afraid that she would not let her practice anymore.
But these difficult days, have forged a more resilient and brave Exal in life as well as on the pitch.
