GREAT SUPPORT IN THE HEART OF AFRICA

The training session went by in a flash on the school pitch in Jema’a Yetu in the centre of Lubumbashi. As ever we stuck to the four traditional stages of the game: a playful yet engaging introduction, an analytical part based on specific technique, a livelier phase taken from a match situation and a short game to finish. The main theme running through the session was the technical objective: how to strike the ball.

The kids learned whilst having fun, focusing on the drills run by the local coaches. Alongside them, we were addressing the situational part of the session, recreating a three against one with a finishing phase.

All of sudden, the peace and tranquility of Jema’a Yetu was disrupted by something we weren’t used to: the midday bell! Out of nowhere a crowd of boys and girls came pouring out of the classrooms. Entire classes stopped to watch training, very quickly forming a mini ‘San Siro’ around the pitch. Every touch, shot and even every mistake were met by a chorus of cheers from around 50 make-shift fans, encouraging their classmates as if the latter were real stars.

From that moment on, despite the kids on the pitch losing focus, their enthusiasm –  along with the crowd’s – made it one of the most exciting training sessions in Congo.

Lorenzo Forneris, Inter Campus coach

03.02.2016