By default , the game starts with keyboard controll only.

you can activate you controller by doing.

1. change into the gamefolder "Soccer Kid" (by gog galaxy client or explorer)
2. open file " dosbox.conf"
3. scroll to the bottom of file to section "mount c: game" , replace "kid" to "setup" (without quotes)
4. Launch the game by play button from gog galaxy
5. In dosbox setup screen switch from "keyboard" to "keyboard + joystick" selection by spacebar, navigate with arrow keys
6. select [exit setup] by spacebar , without abort exit by pressing ESC key

7. change dosbox.conf back to "kid"

The Controller should work

To make my gamepad work, I needed to set the dosbox.conf file joysticktype=fcs.

Then go into the game and press ctrl+F1. Then click on the keys on the visual keyboard displayed, click Add (in the lower left) and press the d-pad or button.

I found it worked best if the game was set up to keyboard only in setup. Otherwise the directions didn't work.