BEING together in the trenches draws people closer together. And that's certainly what transpired between Ange Kouame and Bienvenido Marañon.
Kouame, from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and Maranon, from Cadiz in Andalusia, Spain, found homes here in the Philippines and decided to stay here for good. They seek to represent the country in their respective sporting disciplines.
As they were hoping to gain their Filipino citizenship through the Congress, little did they know that they would also gain a new friend — or a brother-in-arms at that.
"When I heard about him, I really wanted to be friends with him because we're going through the same process and it's about the same goal that we're going through," Kouame, who just gained his Filipino citizenship last Tuesday and is set to see action for Gilas Pilipinas moving forward, told 2OT x Crossover.
The Ateneo center continued, "I believe that helping each other in the matter, what's gonna happen with the ups and downs, it's gonna be something great for both of us. So I texted him after the third hearing, we started following each other on social media, in Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And now we start to share positivity to one another."
Marañon, luckily, was game to hang out, even digitally.
"I didn't know him before, but after the hearing, together we made friends on social media," said the United City FC striker, who is still awaiting his own naturalization process before being able to play for the Philippine Azkals. "We suffered together and we are happy together."
It's truly a bond like no other, with the 35-year-old Marañon somehow gaining a younger brother in the 23-year-old Kouame — even if the two have still yet to meet face-to-face.
Still, they have kept tabs with one another since then.
"He's doing well in his family and stuff. And then we're sharing each other stories and everything. So this is where the relationship is all about, sharing positivity to one another and keep progressing forward," said Kouame.
For his part, Marañon added, "Now that we know each other, I hope I can go back soon enough and we can share some moments. I'm sure in the future we will have time to spend together and enjoy."
Expect their first get-together to happen inside no less than an arena, with the two hoping to see each other in action in the flesh.
"Now I have a guy that can give me a ticket," Maranon said with a chuckle, to which Kouame responded, "When the game is ready, for sure, I'll give him a ticket."
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