Mandela Ziaty Character Analysis in Outcasts United

The middle son of Beatrice Ziaty, and the brother of Darlington and Jeremiah. Darlington had escaped with the rest of his family from Liberia, after watching his father killed in their home. Mandela joins the Under Fifteens Fugees and becomes close friends with the other Liberians on the team, Prince and Fornatee. After Prince is kicked off the team and Fornatee quits it, Mandela tries to rebuild the team with Kanue and Natnael. But ultimately the loss of his friends causes Mandela to act out, snap at his teammates, and refuse to pass to them. This forces Luma to kick Mandela off the team, and she tells him that he “doesn’t have the discipline or respect to play.” Eventually, Luma and Mandela are able to reconcile, and she helps him apply and get into a program called Job Corps.

Mandela Ziaty Quotes in Outcasts United

The Outcasts United quotes below are all either spoken by Mandela Ziaty or refer to Mandela Ziaty. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Refugees, Discrimination, and Resilience Theme Icon

The incident robbed Beatrice of the hope her family would be safe in her new home. She became obsessed with her boys’ safety. In Liberia, a neighbor would always look after her kids if she needed to leave them to run an errand or visit a friend. But Beatrice didn’t know anyone in Clarkston.

Related Characters: Warren St. John (speaker), Mandela Ziaty, Beatrice Ziaty, Darlington Ziaty, Jeremiah Ziaty

Page Number and Citation: 24

Explanation and Analysis:

“I told her I appreciate her,” Kanue said later. “I told her thanks, and that we were going to do everything to follow the rules and give her the respect she deserves.”

Related Characters: Kanue Biah (speaker), Warren St. John (speaker), Luma al-Mufleh, Mandela Ziaty, Natnael

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

Luma dropped her head in relief. Her players, some of them still strangers to each other, were high-fiving and shouting joyfully at the sky as they ran toward her on the bench. They seemed as surprised as she did. Luma raised her head, pulled her shoulders back, and smiled for the first time in two weeks.

Related Characters: Warren St. John (speaker), Luma al-Mufleh, Mandela Ziaty, Kanue Biah

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

“For a while I expected you to be like Jeremiah,” she told him. “Actually, you’re a better athlete—but you don’t have the discipline or the respect to play. You don’t respect me, and you don’t respect your team.”

Related Characters: Luma al-Mufleh (speaker), Warren St. John (speaker), Mandela Ziaty, Jeremiah Ziaty

Page Number and Citation: 165

Explanation and Analysis:

Mandela Ziaty Character Timeline in Outcasts United

The timeline below shows where the character Mandela Ziaty appears in Outcasts United. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...survive a civil war in Monrovia, Liberia. Beatrice has a husband and four sons: Jeremiah, Mandela, Darlington, and Erich. Rival armies have destroyed the city, and civilians are often caught in... (full context)

...money, they beat him to death while she flees with three of her sons: Jeremiah, Mandela, and Darlington. (full context)

Beatrice, Jeremiah, Mandela, and Darlington make it out of Monrovia alive, though Beatrice is unable to find Erich.... (full context)

Community and Teamwork vs. Division Theme Icon

...free soccer program. He loves soccer, and since arriving in America, Beatrice has kept him, Mandela, and Darlington inside their apartment all day. When he asks his mother if he can... (full context)

Discipline, Dedication, and Success Theme Icon

...an exception for him because he is talented, and if he quit, other players like Mandela and Fornatee might follow his lead. (full context)

...Fifteen team. Prince refuses to cut his hair and doesn’t join the team, which upsets Mandela and Fornatee because they are his friends. Luma has a reason for the rule: long... (full context)

...knows that “she’s more than a coach to [him].” But Fornatee is also loyal to Mandela and Prince, particularly because they are all Liberian. (full context)

...by practices with friends, smoking on the edge of the field. This bothers Fornatee and Mandela, who start showing up late and talking back to Luma. Luma is unsure of what... (full context)

Mandela doesn’t like thinking of himself as a refugee; he’s lived in the United States for... (full context)

Mandela had made friends on the Fugees and at school, but Beatrice worries that he is... (full context)

Beatrice constantly reminds Mandela, Darlington, and Jeremiah, of the life that they had in Liberia and their tough journey... (full context)

...bus at the field, only nine players have shown up—two short of a full team. Mandela is on the bus, but Fornatee isn’t. Mandela is frustrated that his friends didn’t come... (full context)

Mandela is angry and determined to take a shot without help. He wrestles past the other... (full context)

The Saturday after Luma cancels the season, she takes Kanue, Mandela, and another player named Natnael to the movies. On the way back, Kanue asks her... (full context)

...together for years, making them even more frustrated. But at the same time, players like Mandela and Fornatee might get into trouble without the Fugees to keep them busy. She agrees... (full context)

The second tryouts for the Under Fifteens take place on Monday. Kanue, Mandela, and Natnael have rallied many new players, in addition to bringing three players (including Alex)... (full context)

Luma also worries specifically about Mandela, who had been quiet and angry at practice. He is still frustrated that Prince isn’t... (full context)

...and also more talented, but the Fifteens display “a new energy and determination.” Early on, Mandela sets up a new player named Muamer, but Muamer misses the shot. Mandela yells at... (full context)

The Fifteens don’t give up. Soon, Mandela weaves through the defense and fires a perfect shot. By halftime, the score is still... (full context)

...the team. Kanue shakes his head, disappointed in himself. Privately, Luma is also concerned that Mandela had lashed out at his new teammates. But the team’s effort had been impressive. (full context)

...him, simply gesturing for him to remain onside. Soon the Fugees make another run, and Mandela is able to power through the Lightning’s defenders to blast a shot into the goal.... (full context)

...them not to get sloppy. She also says that their opponents are going to mark Mandela in the second half. She tells him to draw in the defenders and then pass... (full context)

The Fugees take the field with “a new energy and confidence.” The Lightning mark Mandela, who becomes frustrated and draws a yellow card. Kanue tells him to calm down. On... (full context)

...penalty kick. Kanue encourages them to keep fighting, even though they’re getting tired. Moments later, Mandela is able to break free again. This time he charges the box and scores the... (full context)

...to get into a groove because of Tito’s shooting and the change in practice venues. Mandela’s mood also worsened. (full context)

As the game starts, Mandela passes the ball to Muamer, but Muamer isn’t there and the ball rolls out of... (full context)

For the rest of the half, Mandela refuses to pass to his teammates and makes a run for the goal, but each... (full context)

Luma drives Natnael and Mandela back to Clarkston in her own car. She turns to Natnael, saying that she has... (full context)

Luma asks Natnael what he would do with this kid, if he were the coach. Mandela is Natnael’s friend, and Natnael understands what Mandela is going through. At the same time,... (full context)

When Luma drops Mandela off, she tells him that he is a good athlete, but that he doesn’t have... (full context)

In the Ziaty home, it takes a few days for Beatrice to learn that Mandela had quit the Fugees. She starts to worry for him—without soccer, he could get into... (full context)

After her falling-out with Mandela, Luma tries to regroup. She doesn’t have much time for anything outside of coaching and... (full context)

Luma and Mandela reconcile gradually. She tells him that it would be a good idea for him to... (full context)