The Wanyama football acadamey will aim at giving players a platform to launch their professional careers faster.
Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has explained why the Wanyama Football Academy is based in Busia.
Most football academies in Kenya are based in and around Nairobi, but the academy, which is owned by both Wanyama and his brother McDonald Mariga who recently took to social media to explain to watchers how the structures there look like, is based in Busia in Western Kenya.
“Everything is going well. I have been going to see how everything is going on,” he told Radul Live , “ It is something I have been thinking about. We have a lot of talent in Kenya and alot of players come from Western, “ he added.
“My dream was to have a football academy and give them a dream they did not have so that if they move abroad, it will be easier for them to get minutes and play regularly.”
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The acadamey is being constructed on a 22-acre piece of land in Nambale, Busia County
Wanyama also explained that it had to take time for him to adapt to European football, saying he had to practically learn the basics again when he moved to Belgian side Beerschot AC, and aims to give talented footballers the basics for them to transition to European football much easier.
“I had to get used to the pitches and the weather. Here, we were used to playing in the rough pitches but over there, the standards are totally different and the understanding of the game is at a different level. It was one of the most difficult things for me.
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“You have to start from somewhere for people to see how serious your project is. I had to start my own project for people to see how serious you are. If you are serious, people will support you. For me, it is all about having something that can help brush up our kids to be able to play in these big leagues.”
Following the announcement to set up the initiative, the Busia County government reaffirmed its support for the project in a bid to nurture talent in the county.
Apart from focusing on football, Mariga said the academy will also incorporate other activities such as Ping Pong and also offer co-curricular activities such as Play Stations.
He said his family will ensure the smooth running of the initiative following the overwhelming support it has received from both internal and external partners.
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