LMA Ambassador Martin Allen travelled to Kenya during pre-season to deliver a coaching clinic to local coaches on behalf of TackleAfrica and the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA).

25 Kenyan coaches took part in the clinic, all of whom soaked up the experience with huge enthusiasm and were keen to put their new skills to the test. The three day clinic concluded with an exhibition match whereby the participating players showcased their newly learned skills in front of their coaches and Martin.

On his return to England, Allen said: “What a great experience! There were so many happy faces and all were sponges for information. It’s a trip everyone in their lifetime should experience. These young players I’ve been working with come from tricky neighbourhoods but they were an absolute pleasure to work with. They had enthusiasm, energy and fantastic levels of skill and play. They remain so humble and grounded, working for nearly five hours a day out on dusty pitches. Finally, what an absolute pleasure it has been to be invited by TackleAfrica to come out to Kenya, fully supported by the LMA.”

Coach Lorrine added: “Thanks for the great coaching experience and opportunity, it was awesome! Thanks to good coaching, Martin loved the session I put on. I learnt even more from Martin after my session. He really is a great coach and worth looking up to.”

Kenya is a growing force in African football and one of the TackleAfrica coaches, William, now coaches a Kenyan Premier League team. William said: “I am really grateful to Martin for coming out here to train us. Football is our life and we want to show the world what we can do. African youth find hope and joy in the game and having help like this motivates us to do better every day.”

For further information please contact: Jane Carter, Head of Partnerships on jane@tackleafrica.org