It was the summer of 2002 on a dirt field in the Republic of Benin -- an arid nation along Africa's west coast -- and Mouphtaou Yarou, all of 12, caught their eyes. Seeking fresh-faced talent to play soccer at the Nantes Football School in France, the scouts evaluated Yarou from the sidelines. Impressed by his footwork, they announced over local radio that he was one of their targets. Shortly thereafter, through native middle men, they asked Yarou's father, Louis, an agricultural engineer, and mother.

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