DAR ES-SALAAM, Tanzania- Excitement is building barely a week before English Premier League (EPL) side Everton FC land in Tanzania for a historic visit.
Fans in the football-mad country cannot wait to watch world famous stars such as Ross Barkley, Aaron Lennon, Leighton Baines in addition to Everton new summer signings Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Henry Onyekuru, Sandro Ramirez andMichael Keane.
The Toffees will play Kenyan giants and SportPesa Super Cup winners Gor Mahia FC at the National Stadium on June 13 to cap the first-ever visit of an EPL team to East Africa.
Apart from the eagerly awaited encounter a team of technical and commercial experts from Everton led by club CEO, Robert Elstone will conduct capacity building seminars for football stakeholders in Tanzania.
SportPesa partner clubs in Tanzania, Simba SC, Yanga SC, Singida United FC as well as the national under 17 side, Serengeti Boys will get a chance to train with Everton coaches as part of capacity building programs that will take place at The University of Dar es Salaam on July 12 and 13.
Ex-Everton midfielder and club ambassador, Leon Osman was among the dignitaries who visited Tanzania when the Blues visit was officially announced in Dar on June 1.
The club legend gave insight on how the partnership between Everton and SportPesa that made the visit possible will impact on the Tanzanian community.
Osman, a retired England international who made 352 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 43 goals from midfield, interacted with over 60 youth from four football academies in Dar where he gave them a look into how to become an international professional footballer.
Hard work
Speaking to SportPesa News, the player who retired last year after spending 16 years at Everton backed African nations to dominate international football.
“It takes years of development because you start with the youngsters and in 10 years you start to see the fruits of them coming through. The type of performances and standards you need to compete at the top level internationally don’t come overnight.
“The possibilities are there for many African countries to compete well in the near future but they nee to have roots in early talent development,” Osman asserted.
Osman encouraged young players to work hard to achieve their dreams and they should never lose hope.
“Have a real desire of what you want to achieve. That can relate in football or anything in life that you choose and you need to have a desire to want and go get it.
“You need to have discipline to attain your dream. No matter what happens along the way, good or bad never lose that belief,” the former England international stressed.
Osman who started his youth career at the Merseyside giants in 1997 described what it takes to make it in the EPL.
“You need to be a good player because it is not easy to come by and play a Premier League game. You need to put a lot of work to get to the standard that is desired and it starts when you’re real young,” he told.
Sportpesa