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Tour of La Liga: Kenyan Premier League select side to square it out with Spanish Second Division sides
A SportPesa All Star team will take on Spanish second division sides, Cordoba CF and Seville Atletico, as Kenya’s quest to dine and wine with top football nations gathers pace.
The first match for the Kenyan team will be against Cordoba CF on Wednesday, July 19 before facing Sevilla Atletico on Saturday July 22.
Cordoba CF were relegated from the Spanish top-flight two seasons ago while Seville Atletico are the B team of LaLiga giants and record five times UEFA Europa League winners, Sevilla CF.
While announcing the AllStar team’s opponents yesterday, the Spanish La Liga delegate for Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, Oliver Dodd said the gesture is just but the beginning of a special relationship between the two leagues.
“This is the start of fruitful relations between KPL and La Liga. I’m glad to announce that La Liga has set up a deliberate policy to help in the development of the sport in Kenya and there is no better way than exposing the players to the vibrant Spanish league,” said Dodd.
“Other than the friendly matches, the other members of the delegation will attend seminars on youth academies, stadia safety and security and club licensing among other topics relating to modern day football management,” Dodd said during a press update on the tour, which begins on Sunday July 16 through to July 25.
The naming of the travelling party was put off until tomorrow after a friendly match against SPL side Posta Rangers today.
The tour is a first of a series of goodies the world’s top football league has dangled on Kenya, who they see as a key nation in their foray to Africa.
Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa praised the blossoming relationship between La Liga and the Kenyan Premier League sponsored by SportPesa.
“LaLiga have done very well and we will continue to support them and Kenyan Premier League in every way,” the FKF president said.
“We are in it together and as country. We welcome the effort of the Spanish La Liga to take our game to another level,” Mwendwa said.
SportPesa Premier League Chairman Ambrose Rachier said: “This visit to Spain is just the first of many programmes aimed at developing our football that we have lined-up in collaboration with LaLiga.
“In months to come you will come to witness the product of the work being done behind the scenes to make these dreams and ambitions possible,” Rachier said.
SportPesa CEO, Captain Ronald Karauri, said the Spain trip was just the beginning of more high-profile engagements for the select side.
“This is a great development from the SPL AllStars team that visited England to play Hull City in February and I’m happy to announce that there will be more such matches against Everton, Hull City, and Southampton,” Karauri said.
LaLiga Head of Africa, Antonio Barradas, said the visit of the SPL AllStars to Spain was an affirmation of the Spanish top flight’s commitment to establish a long-lasting presence in Africa.
Barradas said LaLiga would be sending trainers to Africa to conduct coaching clinics soon.
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