http://allafrica.com/stories/201108011345.html took this from Mike Morris' board Freetown — Sierra Leone's only residential football academy, the Craig Bellamy Foundation, has announced that three of their players will travel to the United Kingdom next week to spend six weeks with English Championship side, Cardiff City Football Club. The three players - Mustapha Bundu, Santigie Koroma and Sulaiman Samura - are all members of the Academy's 1st generation, and will represent the first set of boys from CBF to be given such an opportunity to spend time with a foreign football club as they look to continue their development. According to the Academy head coach, Johnny McKinstry, they are excited to offer the boys such opportunity. "We are very excited to offer these boys the opportunity to test themselves against top level players in the UK," he enthused. "We have been working hard to secure the best opportunities for all the students registered at the CBF Academy, and this represents the first step in relation to international training placements, of which we hope there will be many more in the coming years." Expanding on what the boys can expect from their time with Cardiff City, Coach McKinstry said: "The three boys will train with Cardiff City's under 15 and under 16 academy teams during their six-week stay with the club. They will also get the opportunity to play in several of the academy's fixtures during that period, where they will compete against other Championship and Premier League academies." Obviously excited about the news that he will soon be travelling to the UK to play with Cardiff City, Santigie Koroma - one of the lucky players - said he we was very happy for the news, adding that it will be the first time he would be playing in an European soil. "We are very excited to be travelling to play with Cardiff City for 6 weeks," he said. "This will be our first time playing in a European country, and we are looking forward to learning a lot of things, and improving ourselves while we are there." This news should also come as a boost to the SLFA, and those who will be charged with guiding the Sierra Stars U17 team in their qualifying games in 2012. All three boys travelling to Cardiff are eligible to represent Sierra Leone at the CAF U17 Championship to be held in Morocco in 2013.
Interesting that Rhondda. A sweetener for Bellers? I'm still waiting for a Malaysian player to sign for us.
Bellamy is a true Cardiff legend. Its obvious theres only one place Bellamy wants to play football. The Capital.
Fair play thats a great experience for these boys. Well done CCFC for cooperating with CBF to get this sorted. Would be nice to see these guys introduced before a home game - poss Brizzle (I'm such a sentimentalist) nice one DJ View attachment 6108
Good idea that H, it can only help Cardiff City in the long run, sooner or later one of these boys from Sierra Leone or Malaysia will be good enough, might take a good few years but worth the wait.
I wonder if we as fans could do something to make these lads feel welcome, love H's idea, but how about taking them out 10 pin bowling and for a pizza (or something along those lines.....open to suggestions) as guests of the supporters. I know that the club will look after them, but it would be a nice gesture, I don't mind organising it if the club are willing and I get some support....................anyone up for it?
lol. Sorry Hilts. It must be a great idea as it's cropped up in 3 or 4 threads already. Maybe sponsoring a player from the academy would help also. Wouldn't be a bad advert for the club either. Didn't TG get involved because we gave his son a trial. I know this is different, but it all adds to the profile of the club.
I think this should be posted on eveyry board on not606, specially for the ar*eholes who keep spreading the poison about Craig. Let people see the real person. i'd do it myself but don't know how. H bomb, if you know how to can you give me the info?
