I was a pro soccer player. I was tricked into going to Qatar to work construction.

Deena Mohamed,Anthony Del Col,Josh AdamsDec 14, 2022, 16:43 IST

DEENA MOHAMED

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar required the work of millions of migrant laborers, many of whom worked for years in the country under distressing working conditions and lax safety enforcement.

This is the story of one of those workers, Azeez Sulaiman.

A young Ghanaian soccer player, he flew to Qatar with promises of playing soccer professionally in one of the richest countries in the world, leaving behind his loved ones and investing a massive sum in a trip he believed would put him on the pitch.

When he arrived, he was told there was no such opportunity, and that he was there to work construction.

This is his story of enduring difficult working conditions and rising to meet his situation — and becoming a fierce advocate for the workers of Qatar — as told to Insider.

The glittering arenas, the infrastructure connecting them, and the day-to-day operations of the cup itself are possible only thanks to the talents, the expertise, and the efforts of millions of migrant workers. While the World Cup ends this week, their plight continues: almost 90% of Qatar's population is made up of foreigners and migrant workers, and people like Azeez are the ones putting themselves on the line to ensure better working conditions.

I had never been on a plane before. Had never left Ghana. But I was going to Qatar to play football. Professional football. My dream was about to come true. A man named Mr. Felix picked me up from the airport, along with nine other men from Ghana. A white yet dusty airport shuttle van drives along a dusty, desert road in the middle of the night. But I realized something was wrong. They took me to a place called Sanaiya, Industrial Area. It was dirty. Cramped. Horrible. I told them there was some sort of mistake. I was here to play football. They told me my visa didn’t say anything about football. It said I was a construction worker and that’s what I was there to do. They said there was nothing they could do. There was nothing I could do. It was a nightmare.

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I had never been on a plane before. Had never left Ghana. But I was going to Qatar to play football. Professional football. My dream was about to come true. A man named Mr. Felix picked me up from the airport, along with nine other men from Ghana. A white yet dusty airport shuttle van drives along a dusty, desert road in the middle of the night. But I realized something was wrong. They took me to a place called Sanaiya, Industrial Area. It was dirty. Cramped. Horrible. I told them there was some sort of mistake. I was here to play football. They told me my visa didn’t say anything about football. It said I was a construction worker and that’s what I was there to do. They said there was nothing they could do. There was nothing I could do. It was a nightmare.

My name is Abdul Azeez Sulaiman. Everyone calls me Azeez. I was born in Accra, Ghana. Yeah, I enjoyed it there. My favorite thing to do was play football. I played all the time. My father thought it was a waste of time. So whenever he caught me he wouldn’t let me eat dinner. My mother understood me, though. Would sneak me food in my room.

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My name is Abdul Azeez Sulaiman. Everyone calls me Azeez. I was born in Accra, Ghana. Yeah, I enjoyed it there. My favorite thing to do was play football. I played all the time. My father thought it was a waste of time. So whenever he caught me he wouldn’t let me eat dinner. My mother understood me, though. Would sneak me food in my room.

I went to accounting school. I had to drop out due to financial issues. I still played football. But found something else I also loved. I met a girl, Hajara Bawa, who I wanted to marry. Her parents weren’t sure if I was good enough or would make enough money. I got a manager, Mr. Ellis Adomaku, who helped me with my football and also got me jobs to pay the bills. But it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to be a footballer. So I got an agent, Mr. Qudus, who could find me somewhere to play. I was told there was something in Dubai, but that didn’t work out. But then Mr. Qudus told me that an opportunity in Qatar was available for me. I had never heard of it before. It would cost me 1,000 American dollars to get me there. I asked my uncle to lend me the funds. He said yes. I said goodbye to my mother before I left. She cried. Hajara went with me to the airport. She cried, too. I was sad to say goodbye to everyone but excited to see what Qatar would be like …

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I went to accounting school. I had to drop out due to financial issues. I still played football. But found something else I also loved. I met a girl, Hajara Bawa, who I wanted to marry. Her parents weren’t sure if I was good enough or would make enough money. I got a manager, Mr. Ellis Adomaku, who helped me with my football and also got me jobs to pay the bills. But it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to be a footballer. So I got an agent, Mr. Qudus, who could find me somewhere to play. I was told there was something in Dubai, but that didn’t work out. But then Mr. Qudus told me that an opportunity in Qatar was available for me. I had never heard of it before. It would cost me 1,000 American dollars to get me there. I asked my uncle to lend me the funds. He said yes. I said goodbye to my mother before I left. She cried. Hajara went with me to the airport. She cried, too. I was sad to say goodbye to everyone but excited to see what Qatar would be like …

They said, “Azeez, you can talk to someone in the morning. Not now.” I was placed in a small room with six other men. The beds all had bugs on them. I had to yell at the supervisors. Force them to get us real beds. Clean beds. Hajara called me to find out how I was. I… I couldn’t tell her what was really happening. I told her everything was fine.

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They said, “Azeez, you can talk to someone in the morning. Not now.” I was placed in a small room with six other men. The beds all had bugs on them. I had to yell at the supervisors. Force them to get us real beds. Clean beds. Hajara called me to find out how I was. I… I couldn’t tell her what was really happening. I told her everything was fine.

The office people told me I had to work. But I refused. I stayed in my room the first day. And the second day. I was told I could go back to Ghana but would have to pay for it myself. I told my uncle what was happening, and he told me I should work. That I’m a strong man. I could handle it. So I went to work. My roommate Faisal was right there with me. We were building the Al Wakra Bypass Road. We would work six days a week. Even though it was supposed to be eight hours a day, it was always 10 to 12. With no overtime pay. There was no resting area. No shade. You had to stand and work until break time. And the food? Horrible? I couldn’t eat it. I was being paid 900 Qatari riyals a month, or $250.

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The office people told me I had to work. But I refused. I stayed in my room the first day. And the second day. I was told I could go back to Ghana but would have to pay for it myself. I told my uncle what was happening, and he told me I should work. That I’m a strong man. I could handle it. So I went to work. My roommate Faisal was right there with me. We were building the Al Wakra Bypass Road. We would work six days a week. Even though it was supposed to be eight hours a day, it was always 10 to 12. With no overtime pay. There was no resting area. No shade. You had to stand and work until break time. And the food? Horrible? I couldn’t eat it. I was being paid 900 Qatari riyals a month, or $250.

After two months I was able to leave the camp. To get anywhere you had to take a shuttle bus that takes an hour and a half. But it was worth it. Becaus, A pitch made of natural turf. I had never seen it in real life before. I would go out and just sit on it. Imagine playing on it. I convinced the camp to let us play after work. April 2016. I was invited to play in a tournament called The Workers Cup. All the workers from the different companies would play each other. I loved it.

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After two months I was able to leave the camp. To get anywhere you had to take a shuttle bus that takes an hour and a half. But it was worth it. Becaus, A pitch made of natural turf. I had never seen it in real life before. I would go out and just sit on it. Imagine playing on it. I convinced the camp to let us play after work. April 2016. I was invited to play in a tournament called The Workers Cup. All the workers from the different companies would play each other. I loved it.

But most of my time we were working in unsafe conditions. I mean, we were forced to work when it would be up to 50 degrees outside, 122 degrees Fahrenheit. One man collapsed. Died. He was young, strong. But the heat was too much. And the entire construction site was unsafe. They didn’t give us any safety lessons. They gave us monthly safety lessons, but they weren’t always followed. I wasn’t there that day, but I heard about it. A man that had a bad harness. He fell to his death.

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But most of my time we were working in unsafe conditions. I mean, we were forced to work when it would be up to 50 degrees outside, 122 degrees Fahrenheit. One man collapsed. Died. He was young, strong. But the heat was too much. And the entire construction site was unsafe. They didn’t give us any safety lessons. They gave us monthly safety lessons, but they weren’t always followed. I wasn’t there that day, but I heard about it. A man that had a bad harness. He fell to his death.

I would often talk to Faisal about how much we missed Ghana, and come up with ideas for businesses to set up when we would return home. We talked about how unsafe things were in Qatar. I decided to do something about it. When a new welfare manager, Col. Hitandra Bahadur, arrived I convinced him to let me take an exam to become a supervisor. I passed, and became a lift supervisor. Faisal kept working construction. Until one day he passed out from heat stress. I mean, he was young. Strong. We had to rush him to the company clinic, and he was transferred to the Hands Hospital for more medication. After a week he told me: “Azeez, I can’t continue here. I need to go home.”

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I would often talk to Faisal about how much we missed Ghana, and come up with ideas for businesses to set up when we would return home. We talked about how unsafe things were in Qatar. I decided to do something about it. When a new welfare manager, Col. Hitandra Bahadur, arrived I convinced him to let me take an exam to become a supervisor. I passed, and became a lift supervisor. Faisal kept working construction. Until one day he passed out from heat stress. I mean, he was young. Strong. We had to rush him to the company clinic, and he was transferred to the Hands Hospital for more medication. After a week he told me: “Azeez, I can’t continue here. I need to go home.”

Because I played football with a lot of other workers, I was told other things that were happening on other sites. April 2017. On one site another worker from Ghana was told to clean the cement mixer. He went in and did it early in the morning. But not everyone was told he was doing it. Someone went to turn the mixer on.He survived. Just barely. The workers there were scared. Didn’t even know where they had taken their friend. So I spoke to them. Told them we needed things to change. So that day 200 workers refused to go to the site. I had to negotiate with my friend, Mr. Bahadur. And we got the workers some things they needed. Better food. To be paid on time. The opportunity to leave the camp. Proper overtime. Not everything, but some things. I was nervous. I thought it might lead to me being fired. But I also felt like a superhero.

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Because I played football with a lot of other workers, I was told other things that were happening on other sites. April 2017. On one site another worker from Ghana was told to clean the cement mixer. He went in and did it early in the morning. But not everyone was told he was doing it. Someone went to turn the mixer on.He survived. Just barely. The workers there were scared. Didn’t even know where they had taken their friend. So I spoke to them. Told them we needed things to change. So that day 200 workers refused to go to the site. I had to negotiate with my friend, Mr. Bahadur. And we got the workers some things they needed. Better food. To be paid on time. The opportunity to leave the camp. Proper overtime. Not everything, but some things. I was nervous. I thought it might lead to me being fired. But I also felt like a superhero.

I was invited to take part in a football program called Generation Amazing that allowed me to work and play with others. I became a team captain. And started to talk to workers from other sites. About their rights. What they should ask for from their supervisors. They started to say, “You know Azeez?” “Go tell him what’s happening. He’ll help you.” And I went from being captain to being a coach.

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I was invited to take part in a football program called Generation Amazing that allowed me to work and play with others. I became a team captain. And started to talk to workers from other sites. About their rights. What they should ask for from their supervisors. They started to say, “You know Azeez?” “Go tell him what’s happening. He’ll help you.” And I went from being captain to being a coach.

In early 2019 my contract was done. I tried to get another position with another company but couldn’t find anything. So I went back to Ghana. The previous year I had been married to Hajara, but wasn’t allowed to return for the actual wedding. To see her? Oh, my God, the best feeling ever. And my mother. And family. My daughter, Zainab, was born when I was back. I loved spending time with her. But I kept on getting calls and messages from friends in Qatar, complaining. They would tell me, “Azeez, it’s still so bad here.” People were working three months without payment. Forced deportations. Bad accommodations. Discrimination. Paying Asians more salary than the Africans. I knew I had to return.

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In early 2019 my contract was done. I tried to get another position with another company but couldn’t find anything. So I went back to Ghana. The previous year I had been married to Hajara, but wasn’t allowed to return for the actual wedding. To see her? Oh, my God, the best feeling ever. And my mother. And family. My daughter, Zainab, was born when I was back. I loved spending time with her. But I kept on getting calls and messages from friends in Qatar, complaining. They would tell me, “Azeez, it’s still so bad here.” People were working three months without payment. Forced deportations. Bad accommodations. Discrimination. Paying Asians more salary than the Africans. I knew I had to return.

I returned to Qatar in November 2021.I was sponsored by the Building and Wood Workers’ International as a safety and welfare officer. But when I came I was told the company I was going to work for, D&T, didn’t have that category. So I had to take a job as a cleaner and helper. It allowed me to continue to challenge them on their bad behavior. I worked for six months, but then they stopped paying me. I became a threat to them. They realized I was helping the workers complain about their abusive management. I could be deported. I’m a little worried, but I feel good. I miss my family. Some people say, “Azeez, don’t you miss football?” I’m too busy to play. Plus, This is now my calling in life. According to Human Rights Watch, migrant workers in Qatar continue to suffer from harsh and illegal wage deductions and months of unpaid wages. Estimates are that thousands of migrant workers have died in the years preparing for the World Cup. Qatari officials insist that number should be three. Azeez continues to look for work and fight for workers’ rights.

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I returned to Qatar in November 2021.I was sponsored by the Building and Wood Workers’ International as a safety and welfare officer. But when I came I was told the company I was going to work for, D&T, didn’t have that category. So I had to take a job as a cleaner and helper. It allowed me to continue to challenge them on their bad behavior. I worked for six months, but then they stopped paying me. I became a threat to them. They realized I was helping the workers complain about their abusive management. I could be deported. I’m a little worried, but I feel good. I miss my family. Some people say, “Azeez, don’t you miss football?” I’m too busy to play. Plus, This is now my calling in life. According to Human Rights Watch, migrant workers in Qatar continue to suffer from harsh and illegal wage deductions and months of unpaid wages. Estimates are that thousands of migrant workers have died in the years preparing for the World Cup. Qatari officials insist that number should be three. Azeez continues to look for work and fight for workers’ rights.

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I was a pro soccer player. I was tricked into going to Qatar to work construction.