The Spanish and UEFA Level A Coach Marc Miquel will be in Nairobi next weekend to conduct a soccer clinic at Parklands Sports Club in a move aimed at enhancing the growth and development of the game locally.
The main aim of the clinics, which will incorporate both theory and practical sessions will be to scout and fish out talented youth to train in Spain in future, starting from next year
His visit is courtesy of an invitation by Ujuzi Kenya following their partnership with Guresport from Spain.
According to a football coach affiliated to Private and International Preparatory School Sports Association (PIPPSA) Mark Gaya, the clinic is targeting football grassroots coaches and Physical Education teachers from Private and International Schools in Kenya
“The clinic offer a golden opportunity for local coaches to receive first hand quality instructions from a UEFA Pro Coach team coach. PIPSSA Kenya has organized an international soccer camp cum tournament in Spain next year.” noted Gaya
Miguel was in Kenya in 2014 for a 12 day stay where he conducted football clinics among 500 children at Juja Preparatory and Senior School.
Ujuzisoka director Paul Olungae said the coaches will focus on the Spanish youth soccer coaching model which has made Spain produce some of the best football clubs and players in the world.
“Recently, we are witnessing a trend where school teams from Kenya are travelling a lot to Europe to take part in international tournaments. We are offering them an option to enhance their skills as well,” he remarked.
Guresport Marketing and Communication Director Xabi Perez Almandoz said his company is keen on fostering good partnership with the Kenyan youth with the aim of helping some of them to turn professional in future by giving them the right kind of training.
“In my last visit here, I was impressed by the passion I saw in the Kenyan youth and these are the kind of people we are coming to look for when we come in December,” he said.
Kenya and Spain have had a long-standing football relationship following Chapa Dimba na Safaricom announcement of a partnership with Spain’s top football league, LaLiga involving a scouting program that see certified LaLiga coaches travel to Kenya to search for talented players, both boys and girls, who make up an all-star team.
In 2017,the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) All Stars team led by former national team Harambee Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi faced Cordoba FC and Sevilla Atletico, two clubs that compete in the Spanish league’s second tier.
This was in line with the partnership agreement entered same year between KPL and Spanish La Liga that saw the local outfit play against the latter’s clubs periodically.
