Eto’o to set up football academy in Laikipia as Zeitz starts league

Samuel Eto’o, the footballer with highest salary in the world – at about Sh250 million a month – landed in Laikipia on Tuesday evening and flew out on Wednesday.

This was, however, not before untying his purse strings for the local residents with a huge announcement that his foundation will set up a football academy in the area.

News that the Cameroonian star’s Sh2.6 billion-a-year salary at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala will trickle down to Laikipia County was received with huge acclaim from the residents, who had just concluded a month-long football tournament in pursuit of peace and environmental conservation.

Eto’o’s announcement came hot on the heels of another piece of great news: the Zeitz Foundation will sponsor the Laikipia Unity Football League, a new annual tournament that kicks off next year around Nanyuki.

Build on LUC

Zeitz also sponsors the annual Laikipia Unity and Beyond Cup (LUC) where Eto’o was the chief guest at Wednesday’s finals along with the foundation’s founder, Jochen Zeitz.

Nation Media Group was the official media partner of the tournament.

“The Laikipia Unity League will build on LUC, whose aim is to create unity, peace and understanding amongst the diverse communities whilst raising awareness of environmental issues,” the Zeitz Foundation said on Wednesday.

Zeitz, a long-time CEO of German sportswear company Puma, added that the idea of starting the league was based on his vast experience in sports and conservation, drawing on “the 4Cs approach” of his foundation:

conservation, community, culture and commerce.

“My 25 years experience with sports has taught me that it can be an incredibly powerful tool for unifying communities and strengthening peace initiatives, as well as providing a platform through which environmental and social activities can be strengthened.

“I am very happy my foundation can play its part in Laikipia and Beyond through the introduction of the Laikipia Unity League,” Zeitz said.

Eto’o said his idea of the academy was inspired by his visits for the Laikipia Unity Cup. On his way to the hotel on Tuesday, he added, two girls implored him to invest in a football academy in Laikipia and he was touched by their appeal.

“My foundation will build a football academy and give education to the young people here,” the French-speaking Eto’o said through an interpreter.

“Right now I don’t have much details, but I hope the young people who will go through the academy will have a bright future and be good role models to the community.”

The Cameroon striker, a four-time African footballer of the year and a team mate of Kenya’s McDonald Mariga at Inter Milan last season, said his love affair with Kenya is largely due to the friendliness of the people.

Settle in Kenya

He added that he hoped to some day settle down in Kenya.

Eto’o’s academy will be the first fully fledged such academy that is principally a football training school intertwined with education for youths.

Zeitz Foundation’s new league will draw on the 25 years of experience of Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), of organising similar community football events, starting in the slums of Nairobi.

MYSA has partnered with Zeitz in the two editions of LUC by providing coaching to children at all venues as well as coaching and selecting the combined teams that represented their respective units.