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Richard Kone played in the ninth-tier of English football less than two years ago. He is currently a citizen of the Ivory Coast.

The fact that the striker was homeless when he was 16 makes his rise to the top of the Queens Park Rangers’ standings even more impressive.

Kone was merely attempting to survive on Abidjan’s streets in 2019.

He will represent the United States, Canada, and Mexico at the 2026 World Cup if he is chosen to play for the country once more in the summer.

Being homeless in my country is incredibly difficult, according to Kone, who stayed in Abidjan, a city on the Ivory Coast’s south coast.

When you try to ask for a little help or a little money, some people won’t talk to you.

However, one friend eventually helped Kone by recognizing his potential and introducing him to the Don’t Forget Them Association, the president of the Ivory Coast.

It ultimately led to Kone’s selection to represent his country at the 2019 Homeless World Cup in Cardiff.

He had never flown on a plane before, let alone at the UK tournament.

A 16-year-old Kone relocated to east London’s Hackney after winning the Homeless World Cup.

And there, a purely by chance encounter would cause him to sign for Athletic Newham, a non-league team in the Eastern Counties League Division One South, the 10th tier of the English football pyramid.

According to Robert Kone, “History with Athletic Newham began in Hackney Marshes, in the most unexpected of places,” according to Athletic Newham chairman Kennedy Tavares.

When I noticed him, he was out playing football on his own. Richard immediately caught my attention for something.

We never looked back when I asked him to join the team for training, and we never looked back. An incredible time spent at the club followed.

On his September 2019 debut against Fire United, Kone immediately scored a hat-trick.

In his first two seasons with Athletic Newham, Kone helped them advance to the Essex Senior League in 2021, scoring 25 goals in 40 games across all competitions.

His scoring prowess grew as he scored 82 goals in 90 games over the course of the following two seasons.

Professional clubs could not help but protest Kone’s prolific finishing ability by the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Wycombe Wanderers, a League One team, extended Kone’s trial that summer.

In the months that followed, he scored 18 more goals for Athletic Newham, and he signed for the Chairboys at the age of 20.

As they say, history is the rest.

And Kone’s 3-1 win over Peterborough in October 2024, which was the club’s fastest-ever EFL hat-trick within nine minutes, literally made history.

In August, he was also given the PFA League One player of the year award.

After attending the EFL Awards in April of this year, Kone declared, “It’s an unbelievable accomplishment.”

“I wouldn’t have imagined this two years ago, and it’s amazing to be in the team of the season and to have won two awards.”

Sam Avery, a BBC Three Counties Radio commentator, called Kone’s rise to prominence as one of the most sought-after strikers in the EFL “nothing short of remarkable.”

Kone quickly established himself as an important player and very impressive goalscorer, according to Avery, who was brought in as an unknown quantity and from the ninth tier.

“He took his every step and demonstrated maturity beyond his years,” he said, “even when the spotlight was on him.”

Regardless of where Kone is playing his football, it seems like he has never lost his charisma throughout his entire career.

Tavares remarked, “Richard was the kind of player who just loved the game.”

Another milestone, perhaps the biggest of them all, was just around the corner, as has been the case throughout Kone’s rollercoaster journey over the past two years.

His first senior call-up and debut in the Ivory Coast.

Kone made his first international appearance on November 18th, 1993, in Al-Seeb as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 2-0 friendly win over Oman.

After signing for QPR, Kone stated on the Rising Ballers YouTube channel, “That’s what I’m playing football for, to represent my country at international level.”

“Afcon, perhaps the World Cup,” I thought, “because I’m always fighting and striving to be best so I can get called up.”

Tavares claimed Kone “always knew there was something special about it” at Athletic Newham.

“Those who saw him every day will not be surprised by his progress, and he has eventually gotten the opportunity he deserved,” he continued.

Kone, who attended the Homeless World Cup six years ago, still remembers where it all began and described the experience as “life-changing.”

He said, “It gave me the opportunity to grow and set me on the path to where I am today.”

The organizers of the Homeless World Cup said they had “watched with enormous pride” as Kone transitioned from a non-league player to an international.

According to spokesperson Matthew Williams, Richard’s story demonstrates the true potential of each and every player who enters our competition, showing that extraordinary things can happen with support, opportunity, and belief.

Richardson “embodies the Homeless World Cup spirit,” he said, adding that his success demonstrates how football can change people’s lives.

Kone stated at the 2019 tournament that he wanted to return to school and “pose the possibility of becoming a lawyer or doctor.”

Was the Dallas Cowboys’ comeback in Week 12 an epic success, or was the Philadelphia Eagles’?

The Chicago Bears continue to surprise with their win as the playoffs come to an end, while the Chiefs’ season is saved by Play-Off Patrick Mahomes.

And did Shedeur Sanders’ first NFL start result in a full-time position in Cleveland?

How on earth did Dallas turn in their best comeback ever when they were trailing by 1 point against the reigning Super Bowl champions?

Although Dak Prescott’s determination and a defense that pounced on rare errors by the Eagles may have contributed to the emotional impact of the first home game since Marshawn Kneeland’s tragic death.

With an all-action display, Prescott’s diving touchdown personifies his all-action display, surpassing Tony Romo’s previous records for passing yards (now 34 and 378) and game-winning drives (now 34).

With only their second game of the season, which included another poor NFC East loss at the Giants, Philly wasted a 21-point lead or more for the first time since 1999.

Jalen Hurts’ offensive malaise after what was an explosive start, along with 14 penalties for 96 yards, was devastating. Prior to Sunday, he had more than 150 yards in Dallas alone, compared to his 200-plus yards in his previous four games.

However, Philadelphia’s offense spectacularly failed after going up by one point with four straight punts, a field goal that was missed, and then a fumble handing chance after chance to the Cowboys.

The Eagles’ defense is excellent, it is, but a team that hasn’t scored 21 points in five of their seven games (three losses) is now a major concern because the pieces are all there but just aren’t moving.

Although it wasn’t quite as extreme, Kansas City’s 11-point victory over a strong Colts team in the fourth quarter may have saved their season.

What size was it? The Chiefs now have a 58% chance of making the play-offs, compared to 28% if the NFL’s Next Gen Stats had predicted.

No wonder Patrick Mahomes made it to the play-off version, who threw for 235 yards on the final four possessions before winning in overtime and leading three more.

Mahomes frequently makes big plays and swashbuckling scrambles in the play-offs, but the Chiefs are currently in post-season mode, standing at 6-5 and only 10th overall.

The Chicago Bears are simply too difficult to ignore. With Aaron Rodgers out, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved into the top 8-3 position in the NFC North, which is identical to the Eagles’ record.

With a defense that ranks first in the league for interceptions and total turnovers and a youngster Caleb Williams, who is already accustomed to winning tight games, they appear dangerous on both sides of the ball.

He still can be shaky, giving up a touchdown after a fumble in his own end zone, but he also has three touchdowns and has already scored five fourth-quarter touchdowns this year.

After defeating the Vikings in overtime, the Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit of division dominance, and Detroit is there in that position. Jahmyr Gibbs scored a monster game to win the division.

With every game packed with play-off implications, this appears to be one of the best Thanksgiving lineups in a long time.

The Lions take on the Packers in Detroit’s traditional curtain-raiser, before the Chiefs, who were originally known as the Dallas Texans before moving to Kansas City, make a special return to Dallas.

This will have a post-season vibe because both Sunday’s comeback kings are clinging to play-off hopes but have little margin for error.

What about the Baltimore Ravens, then? After starting at 1-5 and appearing to be dead and buried, the Jets are actually top of the AFC North with an ugly win.

Games for Thanksgiving and Black Friday (all times GMT)

Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start, but Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski rebuffed questions about whether Dillon Gabriel will start in place of him.

The question will continue to be posed, with 17 other rookie signal callers failing to do so since Eric Zeier in 1999 making his first NFL start.

Cleveland’s offense needs a leader, a figurehead to inspire confidence, but it was only the Raiders, who managed to get 10 sacks from an almost feral Browns defense.

And Sanders, who admitted to being “who they’ve been looking for” before the game, is certainly one to be confident in.

There was a respectable stature with some highlight throws that showed promise and potential, but there was a certain persona that seemed to lift both his team and the fans.

After the game, he continued, “Many people want to see me fail.” And it won’t occur, they say.

The New England Patriots won nine straight games, leading them in the AFC standings, and their 23-20 victory in Cincinnati made them the only team to have won at least 23 games while allowing under 23 in each of those games.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks’ receiver, received 167 receiving yards and two touchdowns in their victory over the Titans, breaking the team record for single-season yards with 1,313 yards already.

Additionally, he’s projected to have the NFL’s first ever season with 2, 000 receiving yards.

Myles Garrett is now 18 this year and well on course to surpass the 21.75-season mark of just three sacks with three of the Browns in Las Vegas.

After a surgical performance by the Rams against the struggling Buccaneers, Matthew Stafford is still in the MVP conversation. The Bucs could lose their divisional lead after a third straight defeat, even though LA is 9-2 and the NFC standings.