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Victor Wanyama and McDonald Mariga have allowed the world access to a multimillion-dollar football academy project they are putting up in Western Kenya dubbed the 'Wanyama Football Academy'.
The Wanyama brothers,
Victor Wanyama and McDonald Mariga have allowed the world access to a multimillion-dollar football academy project they are putting up in Western Kenya dubbed the 'Wanyama Football Academy'.
In a video clip seen by this writer, Mariga is seen taking viewers on a tour of the academy premises, which so far has the administration block, player dormitories and staff quarters all nearing completion.
The target is to have players aged between 14-15 years who will be selected from tournaments hosted at the facility, based in Busia County.
"We met as the Wanyama family and decided if we want to have an academy, we need to have big land, so we chose here in Nambaaale, Busia county," Mariga noted.
"The target is to admit players aged between 14-15 years who will be selected from the tournaments we shall host here."
The Wanyama Academy is financed by betting firm BET Great, which partnered with the Wanyamas on the project to help Kenya achieve the dream of nurturing top talent.
"Bet Great partnered with us because they want to improve sports in this country, and they are helping us finish up everything here at the Wanyama Academy," he added.
"We have been out there in Europe and played for big clubs with academies, so we know how to nature players, and we shall have professional coaches.
"We have some academies outside that want to help us in some programs, so it will be easy for us to run the academy."
A player's game room, boardroom, academy offices and classrooms are some of the facilities being furnished, and the football pitches are still being worked on.
The brothers have played football at the highest level, with Mariga featuring for, among other clubs, Inter Milan, then under famed Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, where he won the UEFA Champions League in 2010, becoming the first East African to achieve the feat.
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Victor Wanyama, on the other hand, has also featured for top clubs in England, turning out Tottenham Hotspurs, who reached the Champions League final in 2019 but lost to Liverpool.
Celtic and Southampton are the other clubs for which the 'Lion of Muthruwa" has featured. Wanyama is currently on the books of Canadian side Montreal Impact, which plays in the Major Soccer League (MSL).
Mercy Wanyama, a sister to the brothers, is also a national basketball team player, while brothers Thomas and Sylvester Wanyama have featured in the Kenya Premier League
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ZONE V QUALIFIERS Mercy Wanyama emphasizes teamwork
Wanyama is also keen to highlight how Mariga, an ex-international and Inter Milan star, and Victor, who made his name at Tottenham in the English Premier League, have positively influenced her career.
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