Belgian dream beckons for Kenyan boys

Twice, he had been given false promise of playing abroad in Italy and Netherlands, but it never happened. His hopes and dreams were starting to wane as months passed quickly turning his anxiety into a nightmare. 

They had ignited in him a desire to board a flight for the first time in his life and the thought was driving him crazy. It started to haunt him and his family who have hinged their hopes of riding out of poverty on his success. 

At 14 years, Ayub Timbe was a confused boy, nothing was working for him, playing football had lost meaning and he just wanted to live his life, albeit in denial of the missed chance that came his way. His friends had turned him into a mockery. He wanted a new beginning, a new meaning to his life and a new career.

His big day came on May 2006 when a friend asked him to go to Highridge Primary school for training at the JMJ-Tropical soccer academy. Reluctantly, Timbe walked to the pitch picked a ball and started dribbling. It was then that coach Jean Marie Abeel spotted the talent that he had been missing. Impressed he drafted him in his side that was to play in the nationwide league match and he was not disappointed, Timbe went on to score.

The rest, they say, is history. Timbe had earned himself an admirer and two months after their first encounter Marie who handles the training at the academy took him to Brussels for trials at the Belgium’s most successful club Anderlecht. 

A third born in a family of five, life for Timbe was all tied in the sprawling Kawangware slums. However, he had no clue what laid ahead of him in Brussels. At JMJ Tropical Soccer Academy he was mixed with other 40 young players who were spotted by Marie and are now living at the academy being fed and housed. But for Timbe, starting from the flight, he was lost for words on arriving at the Brussels International Airport.

Firmly believing that nothing in the world could stop him from realising his dream, he stepped out of the plane. But, suddenly, he realised something, he was lost and did not realise where he was. Things were not supposed to start like this. Everything was amazing, it was a dream, he was living his dream.

“I don’t know how I can say it. It was like you are in paradise, everything was quite different to my expectations, life was so moving fast and everyone expected me to keep up the pace, I was lost yet I was opening a new chapter in my life,” said Timbe.

Luckily for him, Marie was accompanying him together with another player Jack Kariuki also aged 14. The first stop was at the home of their foster parent Comhair Josy, an official of Anderlecht who also is in charge of sporting talent for the club.

The following day, the duo were introduced to their coach at Anderlecht who quickly dismissed them as too small and malnourished. Reluctantly he threw them on the pitch during training to see their ability.

“The coach said they are not good but gave them a try. However, Timbe and Kariuki showed their skills and left the spectators and other technical bench officials who turned up for the training mesmerised clapping and yearning for more. Put against the Anderlecht under-15 best defender, Timbe cut through the poor boy exposing him and scored a goal on his debut,” said Jean Marie.

Now Timbe and Kariuki have embarked on the road to stardom with their club and foster parents keen to transform them into professionals and finished players ready for any challenge be it in Belgium or other parts of Europe.

“When they first landed in my house, my wife was a little sceptical about them. They were not well fed and the idea of visitors in the house was not good to her. But they have kept up their struggle and determination to succeed winning the support of everyone,” said Josy.

Special nutrition

The Anderlecht official noted that like many children crossing over to Europe to pursue football career, both Timbe and Kariuki needed to have a special nutrition programme arranged for them.

“Their background was not ideal for them to get what they wanted. They can now relax and fight for their positions on the pitch. They eat three times a day and get a balanced diet. Nine months ago, they were not like this. They are polished, can express themselves in English, Flemish and Swahili and they have put on a little more weight,” said Josy.

The duo have learnt that discipline is important for a career in soccer. With the high standards of the game in Belgium, they work hard to keep at par with the rest and must abide by the strict club rules. Time is a virtue and have to conduct themselves as the coach instructs.

“You have to work on the field like it is a matter of life and death not like here in Kenya where you go to training whenever you feel like,” said Timbe. Now playing for the under-15 category, they duo target to break into the first team at Anderlecht in two years time. They have each scored nine goals in 16 games for the club in competitive matches.

“I was good while playing here at home. But I have crossed over to Belgium and have been able to sharpen my skills under a professional coach and now I am a more accomplished player able to read the game and move into strategic positions whenever I am required. I am also a team player,” said Timbe.

Kariuki believes he has the right platform to improve and move to his dream team Barcelona. According to him in Kenya though football is played, no new technique is learnt something he has come to get in Brussels. The duo have been in Hamburg, Endinhoven and Amsterdam playing with their hosts.

“I started my football in Dandora with no hope of going anywhere. But when I met Marie, it was a new dawn in my life. I do not want to dwell on my past but take it as a challenge to do well in Europe. It is good that my friends try their level best to do better and be in my position,” said Kariuki.

Josy has motivated and been on the lookout to see that the boys get the best in Belgium. Also working as an talent search agent for Ajax and Hamburg Football clubs. He also has contacts with England and Italian clubs. Now after seeing the two, he is in the country to see the possibility of starting a camp for Anderlecht which will be able to take in more players and send them to Europe when they are ready.

“It is wrong to send a player to Europe when he is past 22 and that is why we want to camp here. I will be coming here often and I will be meeting Anderlecht coach on tomorrow where we will discuss my trip here and when I come back will have two other coaches to accompany me and help in talent search and setting up the academy,” said Josy.

At Anderlecht there are academies for players from under eight years to under-16. Then there is the elite and first team squads. According to Josy he will be taking 15 players from JMJ-Tropical Soccer Academy to Belgium for trials with several clubs. The JMJ-Tropical Soccer academy is now training at the Kenya Science grounds.

“They will not all go to Anderlecht, maybe three or four but the rest will be training at Zulten Waregem another Belgium division one side and only the best will secure themselves contracts to train and develop their skills with their respective clubs. Once the paper work is done, it will be up to the players to show what they got,” he said.