Yannick Bolasie received a hero’s welcome from hordes of African football fans at Dar es Salaam airport as Everton arrived in Tanzania for a pre-season friendly.
The winger, a DR Congo international who has 31 caps and eight goals for his country, received a warm welcome from supporters, who chanted Bolasie’s name and waved specially-printed flags.
Congolese living in Tanzania jammed Sea Cliff Hotel to welcome their own star.
Hundreds of the Congolese arrived in posh cars to welcome the Everton player.
Bolasie’s admirers then proceeded to follow the team coach on scooters and tuk-tuks, continuing their chants!
The trip to Tanzania celebrates the club-record partnership with gaming giant, SportPesa.
Ronald Koeman’s side are also set to take on SportPesa Super Cup winners, Gor Mahia, in a friendly today.
Meanwhile, Everton’ Aaron Lennon cannot wait to “kick on”, the midfielder said, after recovering from a stress-related illness and returning to pre-season training with the Premier League club last week.
The 30-year-old last played for Everton in February and the club subsequently released a statement saying that the player was receiving care and treatment for an illness.
The former Tottenham Hotspur winger received widespread support from players, pundits and fans all around the world.
“It’s great to be back after a difficult period. I’ve had a good first week of training and can’t wait to kick on now,” Lennon said in a statement on Twitter.
He thanked the medical staff as well as his former and current clubs for their support.
“Lastly, a special thanks to the staff at Everton, my team-mates, and especially my family and the people around me.”
Everton start their pre-season fixtures against Gor Mahia FC in Tanzania today.
