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McDonald Mariga has opened up on a past chat between him and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o that left the four-time African footballer of the year sympathising with Kenyan football
Former Harambee Stars midfielder McDonald Mariga has opened up on how a conversation with Samuel Eto’o left the Cameroon legend saddened with the state of Kenyan football.
Mariga and Eto’o played together at Serie A giants Inter Milan between 2010 and 2011 and became close friends since they were only three African players alongside Ghanaian Sulley Muntari.
During one of their conversations, they talked about the state of Kenyan football with Eto’o keen to find out why not many players from the country were playing in the major leagues in Europe unlike their counterparts from West Africa.
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“Eto’o and West Africans in general like Kenya a lot. He was asking me, if you have reached this level, how many Kenyans are in Europe?” Mariga told Radio 47.
“I told him we have many in Sweden but he was like no, I want you to tell me those playing in the major leagues. That is when I told him I have my younger brother [Victor Wanyama] playing in Scotland and there is Dennis Oliech in France so we are just three in the big leagues.
“He told me; In Kenya, you have not taken football seriously’. Then he asked; ‘Do you have academies?’ I said we do not have. I also did not attend any academy and I am here,” added Mariga.
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“He was like, If all three of you have reached here without academies, imagine if you had proper ones.”
The former Inter Milan and Parma midfielder then detailed how Kenya is left behind by lack of academies since they are expensive to put up in the country.
“To build academies in Kenya, you have to use your own money to put them up. Like we are now building an academy and it is our money but in West Africa, they are supported by sponsors,” said Mariga.
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“In Ghana, I saw they have academies where kids go to school and after they play football. So, their lives revolve around football and school. Here, it is challenging.”
Lifting the standards of Kenyan football is the main reasons Mariga wants to vie for the presidency of Football Kenya Federation in next year’s elections.
The 2010 UEFA Champions League winner is among a host of names seeking to unseat incumbent Nick Mwendwa and he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his friend Eto’o, who was elected to the helm of Cameroon Football Association, FECAFOOT, in December 2021.
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