A youth footballer revealed he abandoned his dream of becoming a football player because he believed his penis was too small.
On 25 Jan 2026 GMT+7, 34-year-old Sigu Niakate, a fan of Sir Alex Ferguson and former 'Red Devils' players David Beckham and Patrice Evra, told French media outlet Le Kipp that he gave up on becoming a footballer because he felt his penis was too small. He has since transitioned into filmmaking.
In his documentary 'Dans le noir, les hommes pleurent' ('In the Dark, Men Cry'), Niakate recounts two childhood incidents that caused him to fear changing clothes in the locker room and showering with others. These fears ended his pursuit of a professional football career, despite his desire to follow in the footsteps of Beckham and Evra at the Theatre of Dreams.
Niakate told Le Kipp, the French media outlet,"There are two reasons I didn't want to be a footballer. Although as a child I played midfield and stood 192 centimeters tall, with some comparing me to Manchester City's legendary midfielder Yaya Touré because of my precise passing, I was once teased by my sister about having a 'small penis' when we were about to shower. Those words cut deep and made me feel my body was abnormal."
"Another incident occurred after a football match when a friend exposed his genitals and pressured me to do the same. When I did, I was mocked again for having a 'small penis,' which led me to decide never to play club football again."