Inter's Kenyan player Mariga breaks new ground

[Zeppo]

Inter prospect breaks new ground

Amid the hullabaloo surrounding Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea on Tuesday, there was one player at Stamford Bridge who also has claims to be a 'special one'.

The moment may have gone unnoticed in London but not in Nairobi where McDonald Mariga's mum was blowing, yes, a vuvuzela as her son became the first Kenya - and the first East African - to play in the Champions League.

Matilda Mariga, whose husband Noah is a former Kenya international, was at home in their apartment (paid for by the Inter Milan player) as 15-20 friends and neighbours squeezed in to watch one of the building's few satelliteTVs.

And just five minutes from time, they were all jumping around when Mariga, 22, finally made his appearnace as a substitute for the excellent Wesley Sneijder.

(continue)

[theworm2345]

Wow Zeppo posts something worth reading, theres a first time for everything.     Anyway good for him, I don't know why East Africa is so far behind their Western and Northern counterparts in terms of football but hopefully there are many more in the Champions League in the future.

[Jayerson]

Good story. I've always wondered myself why East Africans don't take up the game as much. In fact I think Kenya's cricketers have a higher profile than their footballers.

[Deeks]

Atually football is the biggest sport is East Africa(Ken. Tan. U ganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan). It is just that the other regions are just better, a bit more organized and put more money into the sport. Right now, I feel Sudan might leapfrog the rest in the East. They are using their oil money to improve the facilities and standards.

[Deeks]

Kenya football site taken from Skyscrapercity.com

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=939962&page=6