Soccer great visits Parktown college
PARKTOWN – The Holy Family College in Parktown got to be the lucky host of international soccer legend Daniel Amokachi from Nigeria when he presented a unique soccer clinic for avid young enthusiasts of the sport.
Amokachi is a former professional footballer and also assisted in coaching the Nigerian national team which went on to win the 1994 African Nations Cup. He is also an Olympian gold medallist. He was invited to the college by local satellite television provider, StarSat, who were the main sponsors of the event.
Pupils had the opportunity to ask the soccer star questions, and the footballer also gave pupils some valuable advice on how they could go about finding success later in life.
“School and education is the most important thing in life,” Amokachi said to the children between the age of six and 16.
“It doesn’t matter if you want to become a footballer or a president of South Africa, to be successful in life you have to study. You simply can’t start building a life and a career if you don’t have the right foundation.”
The main focus of Amokachi’s visit to the school was giving advice to the college’s soccer players. The legend of African football advised the U16 players to train hard and never lose faith. Asked where he thought the best place was for young African players to start their European careers, Amokachi advised them to go to France.
“The French Ligue 1 is the best place for young African talent to learn the details of the European game. Almost every African superstar started his career there – George Weah, Abedi Pele, Didier Drogba among others. You can also learn a lot by simply watching the Ligue 1. Luckily, StarSat has started broadcasting the French championship in South Africa this season, so now it’s easier to follow it,” added Amokachi.
After talking for more than an hour with the pupils, Amokachi conducted a training session with the U16 team of the school.
Details: www.hfc-jhb.co.za
