Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #1 Stanford on December 5, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 1
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Final
Women's Soccer
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vs #1 Stanford
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Photo by: Steve DiMarco
Senegal to Success: Dieynaba Ndaw's Story
2/5/2024 9:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Samera Eusufzai, Duke Athletics Communications Student Assistant
The Beginning
In the comforting garden of their family home, three young siblings compete in an intense game of soccer, in which Dieynaba and Colin are no match against their skillful elder brother, Hans. Per usual, Hans emerges victorious and per usual, Dieynaba cries at another painful loss against her brother.
Dieynaba Ndaw (affectionately known as JJ), a defender turned forward this past season for Duke women's soccer, fondly recalled her first moments with the sport. Ndaw's older brother, Hans, planted the initial seeds of her passion for soccer as their competitive dynamic was a driving force that propelled her to thrive in the sport.
"I probably cried every single day, because he beat me in every single thing we did," Ndaw fondly said. "So it was definitely because of my older brother that I picked up a soccer ball really young."
Despite her youthful tears, "He was an incredible mentor, I still look up to him," said Ndaw. "And it was just really wonderful to see how he played very freely and very confidently."
While Hans is no longer with us, Ndaw honors his memory as she improves and excels in her collegiate career. Ndaw also frequently competed with her younger brother, Colin, who shares her athletic prowess as he was recruited on scholarship to attend IMG Academy for basketball. Both Colin and JJ left home at 13 years old to attend IMG. Despite this independence gained from a young age, she maintains her familial values.
"I'm really, really, really close with my parents because I call them every single day," said Ndaw. "And then when I do get to go home, I spend all [my] time with them. Just because I cherish those moments even more."
Throughout her childhood, her parents "always made it very clear that being a good person was the number one thing in our household," said Ndaw.
Ndaw attributes much of her success to her family's support and maintains a profound respect for them, further demonstrating her humble nature. She consistently upholds the principles instilled in her by her parents and culture.
Ndaw's Background
With a Dutch mother and a Senegalese father who both worked for the United Nations, Ndaw experienced a variety of cultures throughout her childhood. She lived in Mozambique, Italy, and Sudan before she returned to Senegal, where she was born. She is fluent in French, Dutch, and English as she learned the former two from her parents and the latter in school.
Ndaw is also in the process of learning Wolof, the native language of Senegal, as she desired to be fluent when she returned to the country. During the summer, she dedicated two hours with a professor every day to relearn Wolof - another testament to her hard-working and dedicated character. Ndaw remains attached to her community and appreciative of their constant support throughout her journey as a soccer player.
"The Senegalese community is very giving, very generous and very, very humble," said Ndaw. "So obviously, that's something that has been instilled in me since I was very, very young. And I hope to continue to do that."
"Even though not many girls play soccer there, the boys I train with whenever I'm home always welcome me into their environment and compete with me the same way they do with each other," said Ndaw. "They want me to succeed and I feel that."
Ndaw's unabashed gratitude for her people, culture, and background is an evident reflection of her down-to-earth nature.
From Senegal to IMG
Ndaw left Senegal for the IMG Academy at the young age of 13, one year ahead of her class with the U-15 team. Initially, she felt "very, very raw" in comparison to her teammates who had been playing competitively for years, while she had never played organized soccer.
"I played for my school teams, but it was really not competitive at all. It's not even close to high school soccer in the United States," said Ndaw. "It wasn't even 11 v 11. I'm pretty sure it was 7 v 7. So when I went to IMG, it was the first time I played in a real club."
However, Ndaw would soon perform to her potential with the help of IMG facilities and mentors.
"The facilities are absolutely amazing," said Ndaw. "I've never seen anything like it, you have everything you can dream of right there. And it's beautiful."
"My coach, Kim Dean, at the time really took me under her wing," said Ndaw. "She spent every single day after practice with me, because I couldn't even juggle when I arrived in Florida."
Ndaw continued to improve through the support of her coaches Dean and Alex Chater, and mentors like Miguel Rodrigues, George van Linder, and Matt Paton.
"I developed the most out of anywhere else in my life during that first year," said Ndaw. "I caught up and I gained a lot of my confidence."
Only one year later, she competed with the IMG U-19 International team, which included players of 16 different nationalities. In 2022, she was selected to compete in the renowned Africa Cup of Nations to represent Senegal. These impressive accomplishments evidently demonstrate her undeniable passion and talent for soccer.
From IMG to Duke
Despite her consistent losses against Hans as a child, Ndaw's skills grew tenfold at IMG Academy. This utmost devotion towards soccer continued at Duke. Especially when she decided to attend Duke in the Spring of 2021 to get a head start with the team for the following season.
"I'm honestly really grateful that I did that just because of the people I met, a lot of the seniors that ended up leaving that spring, are still some of my best friends," said Ndaw. "Some of them decided to stay, which made our relationship grow even closer."
Despite joining the team during COVID-19 with various mandates, Ndaw felt how the rest of the team ensured she was welcome and comfortable.
"From the first day I got here, people came to my apartment, met my parents, asked me if I needed anything," said Ndaw. "[They] helped me print stuff out, took me to the grocery store, helped me get whatever I needed. Always offered rides, they always made sure I was welcome."
She believes her early arrival was rewarding because "even though I couldn't play games, because I came a semester early, it helped that I could practice with my teammates and get used to the level," said Ndaw.
She was right. This past season Ndaw started three matches, scored her first collegiate goal in her first collegiate start on the road at Virginia, and played a career high of 51 total minutes in the contest.
Ndaw is the epitome of a hard-working and respectful student-athlete. She learned her principles in Senegal, enhanced her athletic skills at IMG and Duke, and always carries the loving memories of her competitive brothers and supportive parents. The accumulation of these aspects of her identity create an outstanding athlete, scorer, and even better person. Hans would be proud.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu
#GoDuke
The Beginning
In the comforting garden of their family home, three young siblings compete in an intense game of soccer, in which Dieynaba and Colin are no match against their skillful elder brother, Hans. Per usual, Hans emerges victorious and per usual, Dieynaba cries at another painful loss against her brother.
Dieynaba Ndaw (affectionately known as JJ), a defender turned forward this past season for Duke women's soccer, fondly recalled her first moments with the sport. Ndaw's older brother, Hans, planted the initial seeds of her passion for soccer as their competitive dynamic was a driving force that propelled her to thrive in the sport.
"I probably cried every single day, because he beat me in every single thing we did," Ndaw fondly said. "So it was definitely because of my older brother that I picked up a soccer ball really young."
Despite her youthful tears, "He was an incredible mentor, I still look up to him," said Ndaw. "And it was just really wonderful to see how he played very freely and very confidently."
While Hans is no longer with us, Ndaw honors his memory as she improves and excels in her collegiate career. Ndaw also frequently competed with her younger brother, Colin, who shares her athletic prowess as he was recruited on scholarship to attend IMG Academy for basketball. Both Colin and JJ left home at 13 years old to attend IMG. Despite this independence gained from a young age, she maintains her familial values.
"I'm really, really, really close with my parents because I call them every single day," said Ndaw. "And then when I do get to go home, I spend all [my] time with them. Just because I cherish those moments even more."
Throughout her childhood, her parents "always made it very clear that being a good person was the number one thing in our household," said Ndaw.
Ndaw attributes much of her success to her family's support and maintains a profound respect for them, further demonstrating her humble nature. She consistently upholds the principles instilled in her by her parents and culture.
Ndaw's Background
With a Dutch mother and a Senegalese father who both worked for the United Nations, Ndaw experienced a variety of cultures throughout her childhood. She lived in Mozambique, Italy, and Sudan before she returned to Senegal, where she was born. She is fluent in French, Dutch, and English as she learned the former two from her parents and the latter in school.
Ndaw is also in the process of learning Wolof, the native language of Senegal, as she desired to be fluent when she returned to the country. During the summer, she dedicated two hours with a professor every day to relearn Wolof - another testament to her hard-working and dedicated character. Ndaw remains attached to her community and appreciative of their constant support throughout her journey as a soccer player.
"The Senegalese community is very giving, very generous and very, very humble," said Ndaw. "So obviously, that's something that has been instilled in me since I was very, very young. And I hope to continue to do that."
"Even though not many girls play soccer there, the boys I train with whenever I'm home always welcome me into their environment and compete with me the same way they do with each other," said Ndaw. "They want me to succeed and I feel that."
Ndaw's unabashed gratitude for her people, culture, and background is an evident reflection of her down-to-earth nature.
From Senegal to IMG
Ndaw left Senegal for the IMG Academy at the young age of 13, one year ahead of her class with the U-15 team. Initially, she felt "very, very raw" in comparison to her teammates who had been playing competitively for years, while she had never played organized soccer.
"I played for my school teams, but it was really not competitive at all. It's not even close to high school soccer in the United States," said Ndaw. "It wasn't even 11 v 11. I'm pretty sure it was 7 v 7. So when I went to IMG, it was the first time I played in a real club."
However, Ndaw would soon perform to her potential with the help of IMG facilities and mentors.
"The facilities are absolutely amazing," said Ndaw. "I've never seen anything like it, you have everything you can dream of right there. And it's beautiful."
"My coach, Kim Dean, at the time really took me under her wing," said Ndaw. "She spent every single day after practice with me, because I couldn't even juggle when I arrived in Florida."
Ndaw continued to improve through the support of her coaches Dean and Alex Chater, and mentors like Miguel Rodrigues, George van Linder, and Matt Paton.
"I developed the most out of anywhere else in my life during that first year," said Ndaw. "I caught up and I gained a lot of my confidence."
Only one year later, she competed with the IMG U-19 International team, which included players of 16 different nationalities. In 2022, she was selected to compete in the renowned Africa Cup of Nations to represent Senegal. These impressive accomplishments evidently demonstrate her undeniable passion and talent for soccer.
From IMG to Duke
Despite her consistent losses against Hans as a child, Ndaw's skills grew tenfold at IMG Academy. This utmost devotion towards soccer continued at Duke. Especially when she decided to attend Duke in the Spring of 2021 to get a head start with the team for the following season.
"I'm honestly really grateful that I did that just because of the people I met, a lot of the seniors that ended up leaving that spring, are still some of my best friends," said Ndaw. "Some of them decided to stay, which made our relationship grow even closer."
Despite joining the team during COVID-19 with various mandates, Ndaw felt how the rest of the team ensured she was welcome and comfortable.
"From the first day I got here, people came to my apartment, met my parents, asked me if I needed anything," said Ndaw. "[They] helped me print stuff out, took me to the grocery store, helped me get whatever I needed. Always offered rides, they always made sure I was welcome."
She believes her early arrival was rewarding because "even though I couldn't play games, because I came a semester early, it helped that I could practice with my teammates and get used to the level," said Ndaw.
She was right. This past season Ndaw started three matches, scored her first collegiate goal in her first collegiate start on the road at Virginia, and played a career high of 51 total minutes in the contest.
46' | JJ with her first career goal to put us on the board!!!!!
— Duke Women's Soccer (@DukeWSOC) October 1, 2023
???? 1, ?? 0
?? @accnetwork https://t.co/R6ybpB6RdL pic.twitter.com/AvP3OaskK8
Ndaw is the epitome of a hard-working and respectful student-athlete. She learned her principles in Senegal, enhanced her athletic skills at IMG and Duke, and always carries the loving memories of her competitive brothers and supportive parents. The accumulation of these aspects of her identity create an outstanding athlete, scorer, and even better person. Hans would be proud.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu
#GoDuke
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