“Illness is the fight of my life”: at 18, very close to his mother and having come a long way, Rabby Nzingoula arrives at the MHSC

Avec Birama Touré, Rabby Nzingoula est l’une des deux recrues estivales du MHSC. Midi Libre – ALEXANDRE DIMOU

The 18-year-old midfielder, loaned by Strasbourg this summer, wants to assert himself at the highest level and confirm with Montpellier in Monaco, Saturday September 28 (9 p.m.).

Head in the grass, he lies on the pitch. Dead tired. His body deprived of energy, his body put to the service of a limitless heart. After 102 minutes of running in front, behind. Pacing La Mosson from one side to the other with high-intensity runs. A week after the first success (3-2) against Auxerre, will he be able to do it again in Monaco, this Saturday ?

Rabby Nzingoula, one of Montpellier's two recruits, is recovering from everything. From fighting illnesses, to fighting to escape the fatality of a small town, Grigny (Essonne), in the southern suburbs of Paris. So, he runs for fear that happiness will run away. So, he grabs Strasbourg's loan with both hands without an option to buy to launch a career in Ligue 1 at the age of 18. For the past three matches, he has been irrigating a team that has been drained of blood since the start of the season with his overflowing life.

“I have always seen my mother fight for us”

This young player, an adult before his time, replaces the experienced Jordan Ferri, who was left out of the group in front of Auxerre, and meets the expectations of Michel Der Zakarian, who has always been moving forward against headwinds. And draws his desire to succeed from his roots. “I have always believed in myself. This strength comes from my mother”, explains Rabby Nzingoula, born to divorced Congolese parents, a father in construction, a mother employed in schools, with whom he flourished. “I grew up in a modest environment. I have always seen my mother fight for us. Every time I have a challenge, I do it not only for myself, but also for her. I draw my strength from it”, he supports, with weighed words.

The Ligue 1 ranking

“Coming from where I come from, there aren't necessarily many options. You either hang out outside, sell drugs, make music or do sports. Of course, more and more young people are turning to studies, but sports has always been my lifeline. “I wanted to play football to get out of there,” says this high school graduate, convinced that sport can be an emergency door to the social ladder.