Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o arrived in Nairobi on Monday on a three-day mission to inspire and help teach young children soccer skills in a campaign dubbed “Omo 10/10 Soccer School for Life” which is being championed by Unilever Kenya through its lead detergent Omo.
Eto’o, who arrived in Spain as a 15-year-old prodigy, is a revelation of what strains and difficulties that African children undergo in their quest to get discovered and showcase their talent to the world and will be involved in clinics with children both in Nairobi and Kampala as his way of giving back to society.
Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, Eto’o confirmed that he is on his way out of Spanish club Barcelona after four seasons at Nou Camp.
“My third season (at Barcelona) was not good. I was criticised and then I got an injury. It was all too much for me and now I’m back on my feet again and looking forward to playing at the highest level.
“For the moment, I’m still a Barcelona player and there will come a time when I will have to sit down with the club and my agent to make a decision on my career,” he said.
Unilever Kenya’s managing director David Mureithi said that Omo, which is running a campaign that is aimed at developing young talent among school going children aged six to 12 years is humbled to have a player of Eto’o’s calibre at hand to kick start the project.
“It is heartening that great football star can invest in growing children soccer and we are privileged to have Eto’o on board to be part of this project,” said Mureithi.
The “Omo 10/10 Soccer School for Life” campaign has been pioneered in 400 primary schools countrywide. The campaign has developed into major soccer clinics and 40 schools each giving 10 pupils have now taken up the initiative.
Omo wrapper collection
In order to qualify, children in the participating schools were engaged in an Omo wrapper collection programme. The schools with highest number of wrappers in each region automatically qualified for the 10/10 campaign and a chance to be trained by Eto’o. Their schools also won equipment like balls, uniform and coaching skills.
“I’m honoured to meet this young talented children.
“Everywhere children want to have their dreams and one of them is to play without restriction and OMO is helping propagate that,” said Eto’o. “ I’m here to show them that they can attain all they want as long as they disciplined and have got a will to excel in football.”
The Cameroonian who are in the same pool with Tanzania said that football standards are high and East African countries have also proved their point in the ongoing campaign for the 2010 South Africa World Cup.
Story by CHRIS MUSUMBA
