Two Kenyan football officials have ended a four-day visit of football establishments in Cameroon to gather management techniques. The vice-president of the Kenya football association (FAT), Col. Iddi Omari Kipingu and coach of the Under-17 side, Ernest Ghear Mokake, a Cameroonian, told The Herald they wanted to learn from the rich experience of Cameroon.
Briefing The Herald in Limbe, both men said their visit was aimed at enabling them acquire knowledge on the management of football development, with special emphasis on the role of football schools.
Reason why they visited 12 football schools in the Littoral and South West provinces. The schools included Kumba Lakers academy, Njalla Quan sports academy and Kadji sports academy. They also met with the national technical adviser, Robert Corfou and his assistant Ewane Louis Bertin. Corfou is in charge of football development in Cameroon.
According to Kipingu their choice of Cameroon was based on the fact that Cameroon was one of the football giants in the world and had a programme that sustains its status in the world of football.
Kipingu said Tanzania was really at the backyard of football. “We have very good boys, but the process to bring them to world fame fails us as a nation and the boys as individuals.” The football experience in Cameroon based on academies could help Tanzania come out of its failures, Kipingu added.
Kipingu said they had learnt about sponsorship in football, especially that around football schools. That all the schools they visited, except Kumba Lakers and Njalla Quan academies charged school fees. And they noticed that parents were ever willing to pay the fees because they know it was an investment.
“It was good to learn that the schools are sponsored by individuals, not the government”, Kipingu remarked.
He praised authorities of Njalla Quan sports academy for facilitating their visit. They also had great admiration for the school. “They (the structures) are massive, very impressive and conducive for the boys”.
By Kwi Bangsi in Limbe
