10 Questions with Sanna Nyassi

Imagine the stories told around a family meal at the Nyassi home this past month.

There the 19-year-old twins, Sainey and Sanna, have no doubt shared their experiences from the past year living in America. Sainey was in his second season with New England while Sanna became the third signee for Sounders FC, then finished out the USL campaign on loan. Shortly before a trip home to Gambia for the holidays, Sanna gave a glimpse of what life in Seattle is like for him.

 How is the adjustment going with the lifestyle here in America?
At the beginning it was hard for me because it’s cold and it rains a lot, but as time goes on I was able to adjust to the lifestyle. I know that soccer life is not easy. You have to travel to many destinations and have to adapt to different situations. I’m feeling good here now.

What are the biggest differences for you, having come from Gambia?
The houses, the highways, and the way people live here is quite different then Gambia. The highway here you have six lanes. In Gambia you have only two lanes, and sometimes only one. The roads there are too small, and here are too wide. Tell us about the food in Gambia compared to America…

In Gambia, we have African food and the whole family shares one big bowl for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We all eat together. We have benagin, which is rice with tomato, fish or meat. I really like American food, too, especially spaghetti and meatballs.
Your twin brother, Sainey, plays for New England.

What advice has he given you?
Concerning my life in MLS, he has advised me that I have to stay focused during training. That it’s important to keep training hard, so that I can start playing good in the early games in March. He says that MLS is very complicated and hard and I have to be strong. He also tells me that sleeping a lot will help. When it comes to the community, he has told me that I have to be very careful with which type of girls I should be going out with and who I’m friends with.

Twins are usually very close, confiding in one another. Based on your comments (we’ll whoop ‘em) at the members association event last month, it’s also a competitive relationship, right?

I told him, ‘What do you think is going to happen if Sounders FC play the New England Revolution? You guys are going to find it really tough.’ Sainey said, ‘I’m going to make you guys run for the ball and make you suffer.’ I said, ‘No, I’m going to make you suffer. I will be very well prepared for you guys.’ Whenever we talk on the phone, we talk about preparing for next season and looking forward to our game with the New England Revolution. I told him, ‘Tell all your guys to be prepared for me because I will score against you.’ In Gambia, all the time we are together. We shared the same bed when we were little. We played on the same team since we started playing, always the same club.

How is the style of play different here in America compared to Gambia?
In Gambia we pass the ball, but not so much like here. We pass one, two, three passes and then we send it forward. A lot of long balls and running. And here it’s more possession, and it’s very physical.

Tell us about life for you off the field. What’s your home life like?
After practice I stay at home watching Fox Soccer Channel. Sometimes I’m on the internet. On the weekend, I sometimes go out with some Gambians that live here in Seattle. We hang out at their houses and sometimes with their friends. That’s what helped me adapt so quickly because many Gambians live here in Seattle. It has been quite helpful for me.

What are your plans for the holiday season and leading up to training camp?
I’m going back home to Gambia to meet my family with my brother. A lot of Gambians celebrates Christmas. We will be with family, but many Gambians go into the streets dressed in costume. There are a lot of tourists as well celebrating over there. While I’m there I will have some training sessions with the national tTeam, along with Kenny (New England’s Kenny Mansally).

In Argentina, it was said that you raised your game that much higher. Was it the added space of large fields, or what?
In Argentina it was really, really a good start for me. It really helped me because the first game I was on the bench. I was able to observe how the Argentines play and how our boys were playing. When I came on in the second half it was really great. From there on, I started the rest of the games and played well. I had a good experience in Argentina. Compared to the USL, Argentina football is so fast, and they put it in the goal a lot, which really helped me. I made three or four assists on the trip.

You now seem very comfortable on the field. What about on the runway of a fashion show?
It was quite different. For a soccer player to be on stage for a fashion show, it was my first time. It was a good experience. At the beginning, I was so nervous. I didn’t know what to do on stage. We were taught how to walk on the stage and we practiced before the actual program. I had fun. I really enjoyed it. And the jersey is so nice. I am going to buy some from the Pro Shop and take them home for my family.
Courtesy of SoundersFC.com