This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Everton in Kenya: A Historic Football Tour ¶
On Saturday, July 6, 2019, Everton FC arrived in Kenya for a historic international friendly match against Kariobangi Sharks FC, marking the English Premier League side's first visit to the country.
The 22-strong star-studded Everton squad and technical team landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi aboard a chartered flight from Liverpool and then headed straight to their hotel.
Sharks, the 2019 Super Cup champions, who earned the right to play Marco Silva's charges by winning the regional invitational tournament in Tanzania on January 27, got a feel of the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Stadium pitch at 10am.
Head coach William Muluya and his team checked in to their official hotel in Nairobi at 1pm before the pre-match press conference was held at Kasarani at 4pm where the Sharks boss and his opposite number, Marco Silva, addressed local and international media.
Later, visiting Everton heroes, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman, visited Kariobangi estate, the spiritual home of the Sharks, where they got to tour the low-income residential settlement their former side would take on and trace their humble roots.
Organisers of the event, led by the chairman of the International Match Organising Committee, Michael Ouma, were pleased with how everything had progressed and were ready to show Kenya could host football matches of international standards.
With a huge number of supporters from all over Kenya and travelling Everton supporters set to turn Kasarani into a celebration of football on Sunday, the organising team had left nothing to chance, with elaborate security measures in place.
Local music giants, including Sailorz, the Kansoul, and Wyre, were among the performers who would be part of the occasion.
Saturday Everton in Kenya itinerary:
- 8.00 a.m – Everton Team Arrival
- 10.00 a.m – Feeling of training and feeling of the pitch by Ksharks
- 1.00 p.m – Kariobangi Sharks check-in at official hotel
- 4.00 p.m – Media set up at Kasarani stadium for the pre-match press conference
- 4.30 p.m – Prematch press conference: Everton and K.Sharks managers and team their team captains
- 5.00 p.m – Everton training starts (media coverage only allowed for the first 15 minutes)
