Liberian woman claims she is Barcelona star's biological mother

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FOOTBALL Liberian woman claims she is Barcelona star's biological mother

Festus Chuma 16:00 - 11.05.2023

It was just from this public interview that his Wikipedia has been edited with his mother information.

A Liberian woman Nancy Payne is claiming to be the biological mother to Barcelona midfielder Francis Kessie.

In an interview carried by Monrovia-based radio OK FM this week, Payne insists the Ivorian international has Liberean roots in what it referred to as a sensational claim.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX1WlAuJjgQ

Kessie is known to have been born to an Ivorian father in Ouragahio, a border town with the Southeastern part of Liberia, but details of his mother remain scarce.

But the elderly woman came out on Wednesday and pleaded with the Liberia Football Association to connect her with her son.

She also paraded her two sons, whom she claimed were Kessies brothers adding that Liberia was unstable during Franck's birth. 

It's unclear why the woman has remained mute all these years but insists she is not doing so for monetary consideration and "wants to set the record straight that Kessie has Liberian roots."

Kessi joined the Spanish La Liga giants Barcelona in July 2022 from Italian side AC Milan on a four-year deal.

The midfielder started his career at Stella Club d'Adjame in his home country before moving to Italy in 2014 to sign for Atalanta.

Kessie played for youth teams at the Bergamo-based club and soon made the jump to a professional level with a loan move to Serie B side Cesena.

The Ivorian international signed for the Rossoneri in 2017 on loan before the move was made permanent in the summer of 2019, with Milan paying 33 million euros for Kessié.