Author: kkaumbutho

Posted on

LIFE OF A KENYAN ACADEMY PLAYER IN SPAIN

Former TTA player Sydney Ligunya is loving life in Europe. Sydney got offered the opportunity to join our partner academy FC Malaga City (Spain) after impressing in our Incubator Program. We caught up with him recently and he talked to us about life in Spain; his highlights, struggles, and plenty more.

A picture of Sydney Ligunya at FC Malaga City

Food has a great influence on how we adapt to new environments, so it was only right to start the interview with a question about food. That’s why they pay us the big bucks, for moments like this!

Q1. Favourite Spanish dish?  

My favorite Spanish dish would most definitely be the paella. 

(Looking at this, we’d see why as well! What an appetizing way to start this interview)

Paella is regarded as Spain’s national dish by many and is certainly the most famous dish.

 

Keeping in line with the hard-hitting questions, we had one more difficult one.

Q2. Paella or Chapati?

Definitely Chapati  (No hesitation whatsoever)

Q3. What’s the best thing about Spain? 

The weather here in Spain is for me the best thing and how they embrace their culture. 

Q4. Malaga beaches or Kenyan beaches? 

I still think Kenyan beaches are the best in the world but Malaga beaches are beautiful.

The beaches might not be the best, but the mountains are surely a sight to behold. We’ll let you be the judge.

Q5. Biggest culture shock? 

Food has been my biggest culture shock . (Again, back to where it all started)

Q6. What’s a day for you like? 

I wake up at about 6.45 in the morning, say a prayer, then do my general personal hygiene. After that, I have my protein shake – which consists of banana, blueberry, milk, and honey. I  then go to the gym to do some cardio work just to start up my day. Training most of the time starts at 9 am so I go train for about 2 hours.

Depending on the day, my program usually ends at 2 pm. I then usually still have futsal with some of my teammates to just improve my technical side of the game because there’s always something to improve.  Then I have to prepare myself for Spanish classes which usually happen from 4 pm to 6 pm. I still have university assignments that I have to do so I embark on that right before dinner which is at 8 pm. 

Q7. What are matchdays like? 

These are the most intense days! Everyone’s locked in and focused. I have a certain routine that I do before my games especially when it comes to food. I have to make myself pancakes which I’ve done for the past 2 years, then I pray and just listen to music. (The highlight was intentional) 

Q8. Best moment so far for you in Spain? 

My best moment for me was playing in La cartuja  stadium  in Sevilla which is one of Spain’s national stadiums 

Q9. Major differences between football in Spain vs Kenya  

Football in Spain is very technical and focuses on short passing, patience, and a very high emphasis on keeping possession while Kenyan football is more direct. 

Q10. What surprised you the most about the football in Spain? 

The thing that shocked me the most is how the Spanish style of football which is called tiki-taka is being taught to kids as young as 5 years old thus it’s engraved in the from a very young age.

Q11. Do you get homesick? And how do you deal with that? 

I get homesick here and there but for me, it’s not difficult with it cause I’m doing what I love and when I’m on that field playing nothing else out there matters to me 

Q12. Hardest part about being in Spain? 

Communicating with people, in the beginning, was difficult because not so many people were English speakers. I am currently learning Spanish though and getting better at it. It was difficult going around the city at first because of the language barrier but I can move around now.

Q13. Your first experience with Winter and Summer, how was it?  

Winter was one of the worst experiences I had. I was sick most of it and at that point, I was ready to go back home but I managed to pull through.  In the summer it gets really hot it’s next to impossible to train and do things without water breaks. 

Posted on

Playing Football in the USA as an African Student Athlete

Former True Talents of Africa player Kennedy Obanda signed for Northeast Texas College in the USA in September 2022. Obanda got the opportunity through our partners Sports Recruiting USA after impressing at all levels in the academy since joining in 2019.

Obanda has had a decent start to life in Texas football-wise, making a few appearances for the team both as a starter and from the bench. We caught up with our former captain to ask him about life in the USA and how he’s adapting to the new environment.

Kennedy Obanda in action for Northeast Texas Eagles

Q. Just over two months in the USA. What’s been your experience so far?

My experience in the USA so far has been very good. The people here are very friendly and that has made settling here easy for me. I’m loving it here.


Q. What has been the biggest culture shock so far?

The food here definitely is. There are a lot of fast-food joints here and plenty of junk food. I miss home-cooked meals. I’ve tried looking for African restaurants or restaurants that have African food but sadly I haven’t found one.


Q. What’s the weather like in Texas?

It got very hot and humid in the summer, and then changed drastically in the winter. It also rained a lot in the winter. We had a tornado a few weeks back and fortunately everyone was safe.


Q. What was your first training session like?

My first training was intense, the weather made it hard for me to train. I almost fainted. But I was told it’s normal for players to struggle in the first training sessions given the weather.


Q. What would you say is different in the way they play football in the USA compared to Kenya?

There is a more professional outlook to football here in the USA and the intensity is high. The game is mostly possession-based and less physical since most players here are very technically gifted.


Q. What’s a day in the life for you?

A day in the life for me would be:

Wake up: 7.00 am

Freshen up: 7.00 – 7.45 am

Breakfast: 7.45 am

Classes: 8.00 am – each class is 1 hour 30 minutes, and the number classes varies per day

Lunch: 11.00 – 1.00 pm

First training session: 2.30 – 4.30 pm

Dinner: 5.00 – 6.00 pm

Team bonding/study/assignments: 6.00 pm – 8.30 pm – We play board games, video games, ping pong, etc.

Gym session: 8:30 – 10.00 pm

Finish Assignments: 10.00 pm – 12 am

Sleep: 12:30 midnight


Q. What was the feeling like making your debut for your new team?

It was a home game. I still remember it to this day. I was nervous but the fans and my teammates were incredible in the way they supported me. We ended up winning 5-1.


Q. What’s the coach like, is he friendly, or no-nonsense? Or a little bit of both?

Our coach is friendly and at the same time no-nonsense. He is usually mad at us if we don’t play our hearts out or follow his tactics giving 100% in whatever we do. He is a very young coach, and this is his first season which means he is learning as well but he has good principles which are discipline and hard work.


Q. What’s been the most difficult part about moving to the USA?

I miss my family the most, my dad and my sister. Leaving my family behind is one of the hardest choices I’ve made, and I always think of them every day. I don’t let the time difference change anything and try as much to call them daily.


Q. How many nationalities do you have in your team?

We have around 8 different nationalities. Guys from Brazil, France, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, South Africa, Puerto Rico, and England.


Q. Have you found it easy to juggle football and your academics?

Balancing my football and academics has been easy for me. Education is really important, and the school gives you a good amount of time and support for you to excel and get your certificate. If your grades are low, you are not allowed to play so you have to balance both your education and football.


Q. What’s your living arrangement like?

I live within the school in a suite accommodation. There’s four of us and everyone has their own room. We share the two bathrooms among us; two players per bathroom.


Q. What’s your favorite thing about the USA so far?

The people here are very friendly and will help you at any time. Learning about different cultures as well has been very interesting to me especially learning the Mexican culture which is very broad and exciting.

Northeast Texas College
Posted on

Nova TTA’s Goal Keeper Peter Kolenyo Earns US Soccer Scholarship

Peter

Congratulations are very much in order as Nova Pioneer and TTA graduate from the class of 2021, Peter Kolenyo, this week, committed to join Cardinal Stritch University on a 67% soccer scholarship.

Peter made the decision after receiving offers and interest from various universities including Amherst University, Manor College, Irvine Valley, Whatcom University, Pima College and others.

Cardinal Stritch is one of the most consistent NAIA Men’s soccer programs in the United States, having qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in 4 out of the past 6 years.

Peter is a graduate of the True Talents of Africa Football Academy residential program at Nova Pioneer Boys where he excelled not only on the field but also off the field, scoring high marks in his KCSE Exams in 2021.

We are extremely proud of him and we wish him well in his journey! He is set to travel to the US in August and is currently training with the TTA Football Academy’s Under 21 team.

Peter joins the list of Nova TTA Graduates headed to the US this August on Soccer scholarships which includes Cedric Mucui, Kennedy Obanda and Derrick Onyango.

Posted on

TTA’s Daryl Joseph Earns Soccer Scholarship to Northern Oklahoma College, USA

Daryl

Congratulations are in order as TTA Striker, Daryl Joseph has officially committed to joining Northern Oklahoma College on a 55% soccer scholarship through TTA’s Special SRUSA program. Daryl made the decision after receiving offers and interest from Fulton Montgomery, Eastern Oklahoma State College, and Phelps School.

Daryl, has been an exemplary performer for True Talents of Africa’s Under 21 team for the past 9 months and was therefore inducted into TTA’s SRUSA Program that offers players soccer scholarship opportunities to study and play in the United States.

He is now set to join one of the top Junior College programs in the US in Northern Oklahoma.

We wish him well in his journey! And we are extremely proud of him! His consistency and commitment have been a testimony to us all!

Daryl, a graduate of Brookhurst International School in Kiserian, is due to travel in August 2022, and he joins a list of 4 other TTA Students making the same trip including, Cedric Mucui, Kennedy Obanda, Peter Kolenyo and Derrick Onyango.

Posted on

NOVA TTA’s Derrick Onyango Soccer Scholarship to Cardinal Stritch University, USA

Congratulations are very much in order as Nova Pioneer graduate and TTA Member from the class of 2022, Derrick Onyango, this week, committed to join Cardinal Stritch University on a 69% soccer scholarship through TTA’s Special SRUSA Program.

Derrick made the decision after receiving offers and interest from Hastings University, Milligan University, St. Scholastica, Indiana Wesleyan, University of Rio Grande, etc. with soccer scholarship offers worth over 60,000 US Dollars per year. Cardinal Stritch is one of the most consistent NAIA Men’s soccer programs in the United States, having qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in 4 out of the past 6 years.

Derrick is a 2022 graduate of the True Talents of Africa Football Academy at Nova Pioneer Boys where he excelled not only on the field but also off the field, scoring high marks in his KCSE Exams and was inducted into TTA’s SRUSA program.

We are extremely proud of him and we wish him well in his journey! He is set to travel to the US in August and is currently training with the TTA Football Academy’s Under 21 team.

Derrick joins a list of 3 other Nova TTA Graduates headed to the US this August on Soccer scholarships which includes Cedric Mucui, Kennedy Obanda and Peter Kolenyo.

Posted on

The best players are actually not that good

The world of football is funny.

As a player you can have days where you’re completely unstoppable, and then other days where you can’t even control the ball…

One thing that players often forget is how much of the game is actually “MENTAL”.  Of course talent is important and players do need a certain level of ability to play at a high-level. But what happens in places where all the players are talented? When everyone has ability, what makes certain players “special”?

The only real differentiating factor when you play at a high level is your “mind”. How you approach the game, the habits you have on and off the field, your level of self-belief and confidence… all of these things separate the good players from the special ones. But despite this, very few players take the mental part of their game seriously.

Consider this.

The best players are actually not that good… but mentally, they are great. They have the most important attribute of all: Confidence.

The hardest thing to give any player is confidence. Not the false kind of confidence where a player is delusional and tells themselves that they are much better than they are when their performances don’t reflect that.

We’re talking about real confidence. The confidence that not only makes a player believe he’s good enough, but actually makes them “know” that they are.

Different players cultivate and create this confidence in different ways. There are some players that seem to have it abundantly. Players like Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Zlatan Ibrahimović – AC Milan player

But then there’s the rest of us. The players whose confidence comes and goes. For us, we need to build our confidence. And the question is, how do you do that?

Where confidence comes from?

Real confidence can only come from continuous practice. If you’ve passed the ball a thousand times, the 1001th time you pass it, you won’t doubt yourself as much as you did the first time. That is confidence, and the more you practice the more confident you get.

But aside from practice, players can also train their mind. Visualization, saying affirmations, having a pre-match routine… these are only a few examples of techniques you can use. Every player is different, but if you’re a player who’s struggling with consistency and confidence, the solution isn’t always that you need to train more, it could be that you just need to train smarter and cultivate your mind.

This blog is written and created by True Talents of Africa.  The TTA Football Academy program is a specialized highly intensive football program designed to turn students from ‘students’, to ‘student-athletes’. The program enables talented football players to pursue football at an elite level without subtracting from their education whilst granting them greater opportunities to play internationally.

If you would like more info on playing opportunities for yourself or your son, you can join our next masterclass.

Posted on

Dawamu School Becomes host to Kenya’s First Fully Residential Football Academy

The True Talents of Africa Football Academy @Dawamu School is Kenya’s first fully residential international football academy based in Kiserian, Nairobi.

The program is designed to develop young ‘student-athletes’ from the ages of 13 – 19 in a professional football academy environment whilst schooling at Dawamu Boy’s Secondary school. Essentially students will live and train on one campus with the goal of pursuing a career in football. 

Since 2018, TTA’s partners have sent over 7 students on soccer scholarships to places around the world. These are the opportunities that the TTA Academy prepares its students for.

“This is a big opportunity for aspiring footballers, not just in East Africa, but all over the continent. In my career, football opened doors for me that academics could not. We are simply giving the same opportunity to the students of today. At Dawamu we have created the right environment to develop and mentor our student-athletes as they pursue football at the highest level.”

Kimathi Kaumbutho, TTA Director and former player and USA NAIA National Champion.

The intensive format of the program will see students train 3 times per week on campus in tandem with their studies. The program also includes ‘Mental Conditioning’, character-building sessions.

“Mental conditioning is where we mentor our student-athletes off the pitch in a classroom setting. We discuss matters regarding their mental health and character. It’s important to realize that football is simply a tool we use to educate the students and equip them to succeed in life—that’s the real goal of the academy.”

The True Talents of Africa Football program continues this coming July Term @Dawamu School and is currently accepting applications through the link below.

To learn more about the program, CLICK HERE

Posted on

TTA Launches Kenya’s First International Fully-Residential Football Academy @ Nova Pioneer Boys

The True Talents of Africa Football Academy is set to launch Kenya’s first fully residential International football academy in partnership with Nova Pioneer Boys Secondary School based in Tatu City, Nairobi.

The program is designed to develop young ‘student-athletes’ from all over the continent from the ages of 13 – 19 in a professional football academy environment whilst schooling at Nova Pioneer Secondary school. Essentially students will live and train on one campus with the goal of pursuing a career in football. 

Since 2018, TTA’s partners have sent over 7 students on soccer scholarships to places around the world and these are the opportunities that the TTA Academy prepares Nova Students for.

“Having played professional football myself, I would say this is an opportunity which I would have loved to have growing up…”

Kevin Karuga, Nova Head Coach

“This is a big opportunity for aspiring footballers, not just in East Africa, but all over the continent. In my career, football opened doors for me that academics could not. We are simply giving the same opportunity to the students of today. At Nova, we have created the right environment to develop and mentor our student-athletes as they pursue football at the highest level.”

Kimathi Kaumbutho, TTA Director and former player and USA NAIA National Champion.

The intensive format of the program will see students train 4 times per week on campus in tandem with their studies. The program also includes weights and resistance training and ‘Mental Conditioning’, character-building sessions.

“Mental conditioning is where we mentor our student-athletes off the pitch in a classroom setting. We discuss matters regarding their mental health and character. It’s important to realize that football is simply a tool we use to educate the students and equip them to succeed in life—that’s the real goal of the academy.”

The True Talents of Africa Football program starts this coming July Term 2021 @Nova Pioneer.

To learn more about the program CLICK HERE

Posted on

Your Academy is Probably Lying to you. Here’s Why!

Hands down, FOOTBALL is Africa’s most popular sport.

There is no day that goes by without us talking about Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and all the big clubs we love to watch. But this passion, this deep and relentless passion for football, is mostly carried by our youth.

Young boys (and girls) all over Africa strive to be professional footballers. It’s no surprise then that in pursuit of this dream, many of them join football academies to develop and grow their talent to reach the highest level.

In layman terms, a football academy is a ‘Football School’.

A talent development centre which focuses on football and its goal is to train and teach young players to maximize their talent and one day make it as professional players.

Most football academies tend to promise the same thing;

“Train with us and you could play professionally abroad for your favorite club.”

However, in saying this, when you look at the number of African players who make it at the highest level, why are they so few?

How many academies actually address why?

What are they not telling us, as players and parents, about the real world of professional football?

Here are 3 things your academy has probably never told you that you must know as a player or parent in your pursuit of football as a career:

Banned International transfer of youth players

Did you know that since 2009, FIFA Prohibits the transfer of players under the age of 18 internationally?

Despite this, hundreds of academies in Africa send students to international tournaments every year. It’s not that playing in these tournaments is wrong or bad, it’s that academies don’t tell their students and their families that your son/daughter is not likely to be signed. And when the player comes back wondering why they were not picked up by a club, nobody has answers. The truth is that clubs cannot sign underage international players. So go on trips and play in tournaments, that’s all fine… but find another route if you want to play abroad under the age of 18.

Limits on International Players

Another thing, players often don’t know is that every league has limits on foreign players. They do this to protect their home-grown talent. In Spain for example, each team is only allowed 3 Non-European Union players on match day. In France, that number is 5.

Even in Kenya, each club is only allowed 5 foreign players.

This means that the competition for those spots is very high. To play abroad as a foreign player, you would have to be world-class.

How hard it is at the professional level

Most players will not go from Nairobi, or Kampala, or Accra directly to playing for Arsenal. Football and even life doesn’t work like that. You don’t land your dream job after you finish high-school. Football is a ladder. And many families simply lack the patience to support their son/daughter through that ladder.

We have this conception that if you take your son/daughter to London, they will immediately be signed. But that’s impossible.

What’s more likely is that your son or daughter will play in different countries as they climb the ladder of international football. They may not even get a professional contract on their first trial, or even their second or third one. But the same applies to any highly competitive job. You might work different jobs and go to many different interviews before you get what you really want. And that’s okay. Expect football to be the same way.

. . . . .

This blog is written and created by True Talents of Africa.  The TTA Football Academy program is a specialized highly intensive football program designed to turn students from ‘students’, to ‘student-athletes’. The program enables talented football players to pursue football at an elite level without subtracting from their education whilst granting them greater opportunities to play internationally.

  • Sports Recruiting USA
  • FC Malaga City (Spain)
  • Brooke House College (UK)
  • Soccer Viza (Costa Rica)
  • FA Euro (USA)

Our Academy Partners

If you would like more info on playing opportunities for yourself or your son, you can join our next Masterclass.

Posted on

Playing Professionally is Not what you think it is

Several years ago, I remember staying with my aunt and uncle in Kansas City, Missouri USA. At the time, I was working as a youth coach whilst playing at the U23 level in the USL 2 (formerly known as the PDL). The season had just ended. Earlier that year I had also competed in my final college season with the University of Rio Grande where we were crowned NAIA National Champions. 

That summer was a crucial time for me because I was preparing for some prospective trials at different teams. It was a time of a lot of uncertainty and anxiety because of all the questions I had over the next step in my career. For 3 or 4 months, I was not signed by any team. It was tough.

During that time, I learnt something about professional football. 

It’s Nothing like you think it is…

Every young boy has a dream of playing in the biggest leagues internationally. But as we say in Nairobi “kwa ground, vitu ni different” (On the ground, things are different). 

I’m not sure where I heard this but I was once told that in the world of Professional football, there are three kinds of footballers: 

  • The top 1% – These are the Messis, the Ronaldos, the Neymars… that live a life most of us can’t even imagine. They are at the pinnacle of the sport. 
  • Then there is the 30% – These are the professional players that play in high level leagues across the world and live a comfortable lifestyle.
  • And then there is the other 70%… who nobody ever talks about – these are the professionals/semi-professionals who live contract to contract, constantly uncertain of their future and for the most part struggling to support themselves with their football. 

I have been part of the 70% and I will tell you from experience… it’s not for everyone. When I was living in Kansas City, I worked out 6 times a week. sometimes twice a day. I was in the gym in the mornings, I would go coach, and then train at night with different teams. The reason I wanted to share this experience with people is because they think that the journey they’re on is hard… but they have no idea just how hard it is. 

What you should do now

At True Talents of Africa, we put most of our athletes on a holiday workout program for the next few weeks as the COVID-19 Pandemic subsides (we pray). The workouts are 4 times a week and are designed to focus on football actions to improve their explosiveness and technical ability. It hurts me to say that most of our students aren’t even committed enough to complete their workouts. 

The reason it hurts me is because I remember being like them—having a dream I knew nothing about. They want to play in the biggest leagues in the world but they don’t want to commit themselves to getting better every day. It saddens me.  

So, I write this for any aspiring footballer, and athlete. I want you to know that it’s what you do in the dark when nobody is around that will determine what you do under the lights when everybody is watching.

90% of anything worth doing is boring and monotonous and tiresome, but that’s exactly why it’s so hard to do, because few people are willing to make that sacrifice. You don’t suddenly become professional at anything; you are a professional every day until you become one.