Ivory Coast striker and former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou recently wowed football fans when he graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration.
His achievement was a timely reminder – especially in Africa – that it is possible to juggle between football and education with positive outcomes.
Closer home in Kenya, footballers are increasingly sparing time out of their playing and training schedules to immerse themselves in books.
A partnership between the Kenya Footballers' Welfare Association and Zetech University has thus far provided 16 footballers with scholarships to undertake courses of their choice.
Christine Nafula, Women Premier League side Makolanders’ dependable midfielder, had always wanted to better her baking skills even before she started playing professional football .
She was quick to grasp the opportunity offered by KEFWA for members interested in short-term courses to undertake a one-week baking course at Bakers’ Club in Buru Buru.
“Apart from my passion for baking, I felt that having a certificate is important since one cannot rely on football alone. Before this opportunity came, I had enrolled for a Tours and Travels class but dropped out due to lack of fees,” Nafula says.
One week later, the box-to-box midfielder is reaping the dividends of her time spent in class.
“Three weeks since I graduated from the class, I have received orders from four clients. For now, I am specialising in birthday cakes but hope to better my skills to become an expert in all types of cakes,” she says.
She is a lady with lofty ambitions who wants to win big in the kitchen, in business – in addition to winning on the football pitch.
“My dream has always been to establish a bigger business to the level of other expert bakers. Once I go back to school to improve my skills, I will be able to expand my business,” Nafula says.
Third time lucky
A goalkeeper at Makolanders, Samantha Akinyi, was at first hesitant to take up the opportunity considering her past failed attempts at returning to class.
"In the past, I have received such opportunities where you are even promised school fees but then they fail to materialise. I was unsure about KEFWA's opportunity until I received my admission letter from the university," Akinyi says.
Akinyi, a serial WPL title winner, is pursuing a course in Counselling and Psychology at Zetech University and believes that this education is an ammunition for her future ambitions.
"I really love working with kids and connecting with people. I have always wanted to be a coach and a mentor to others. Counselling and psychology suits my ambition because it is tied to what I want to do in the future," she says.
However, she is not under any illusion about the challenges that lie ahead in her educational journey.
"This was not an easy decision to make. I know that there will be challenges ahead because it has been a while since I last sat in a class," Akinyi says.
No brainer
Former Ulinzi FC, Sofapaka and KCB forward Stephen Waruru did not think twice when the opportunity for a degree course in Criminology and Security Studies arose.
The attacker knew that this opportunity will not only provide him with an alternative means of livelihood but also propel his playing career.
"Education is power; football goes hand in hand with education. As a player, you will be required to sign contracts and you must be knowledgeable about what you are signing," Waruru says.
Waruru — who has recently signed for KPL newbies Bidco FC — also believes that a stint in class improves a player's communication with the technical bench.
"With education, you are able to understand what the coach is saying and to interpret it effectively. You need to understand what your physio is saying and to follow orders efficiently like it is in the military," he says.
Educational awareness campaign
KEFWA's initiative with Zetech University is part of a new campaign to buck an infamous trend in Kenya, where football and education do not mix like water and oil.
The 'bitter rivalry' between these two careers has landed many footballers in abject poverty when injuries strike or their football careers reach a nadir.
“Over time, we noticed that many of our members were getting entangled in contract disputes with their clubs. That's why we thought of this initiative to at least equip players with the intuition to always peruse through their contracts before signing,” Dan Makori, KEFWA's head of education, says.
Having played for Gor Mahia between 2009 and 2012, Makori understands the impact of education on his career progression.
“Even before I was signed by Gor Mahia, I was already a teacher. With that kind of education, it was useful for me to make the right moves regarding my playing career,” the former K'Ogalo forward says.
Established in 2018, the initiative allows players to apply and study for their desired courses at a discounted amount at Zetech University.
“For this first lot that have enlisted, KEFWA has spent Sh500,000 to cater for their school fees. The next lot will study for their courses at a discount of 20 per cent,” Makori says.
Makori, however, adds that KEFWA is willing to step in and cater for players who may be encountering school fees challenges.
“We have been able to step in for various footballers including those in high school. In such cases, we are always willing to discuss with their parents and then channel the fees to their respective schools,” he says.
Apart from this initiative with senior players, KEFWA has also been creating awareness at the grassroots level on the importance of education.
“We have endeavoured to visit over 200 clubs at the counties during which we meet footballers. We have particularly implored the senior footballers to set a good example for the younger ones by prioritising their education,” Makori says.
Winning in life
Moses Maina, the Sports Affairs Director at Zetech University, believes that such initiatives forge footballers into more complete human beings - apart from providing a fallback plan after hanging up their boots.
"There is a huge correlation between talent and education. Education broadens your thinking horizons. We have one of our own students who has established an academy and it is really inspiring to hear him outline his vision for the academy," Maina says.
Maina says that retirement for football is just the beginning of life and thus education provides retirees for a new purpose for the rest of their lives.
"Nobody can play football for that long; I think Roger Milla played until the age of 42. If you read the Bible, humans have been given a minimum life span of 70 years. So this means that you have at least 28 more years after football to still enjoy your life," he says.
Turning to Zetech's partnership with KEFWA, Maina says that the initiative allows the institution to benefit from exceptional players who can improve the quality of its football team.
"For me, it is a dream come true. One of the challenges we had experienced was how to find players who are not only exceptional but have an identity as part of the student fraternity," he says.
The courses are a blend of online and face-to-face classes to enable students attend all of them at their convenience.
"One of the issues we have faced with players is procrastination; postponing their studies until a later time. The good thing is that our programs are affordable without diluting on the quality of the education," Maina says.
The way forward
Plans are underfoot to extend the scholarship initiative to other higher institutions to benefit footballers countrywide.
“We are currently in talks with Riara University to provide short courses on physical fitness. We are also targeting Maseno, Masinde Muliro to cater for footballers who reside in those areas so that they don't have to come to Nairobi,” Makori says.
For many Kenyan footballers, the afterlife of their playing careers has been characterised by gloomy days as their wallow in depressive thoughts of what could have been.
One hopes that KEFWA's initiative — and many others — will equip upcoming and seasoned footballers with the knowledge to meander through the intricacies of football.