For them, it is not just a trip abroad, but a trip to another world: 14 children from the Acakoro Academy, which Stefan Köglberger and his helpers set up in the slums of Nairobi, are currently on a two-week tour of Austria. Many things that no one in this country takes for granted – whether it’s a flush toilet or sidewalks next to asphalt roads – are perceived as a sensation by the young football talents. In addition to marveling at the paradisiacal conditions in Austria, they also play football.
The U8 team started the game with a 7:4 victory against the Union St. Florian juniors, and on Saturday the Africans beat St. Magdalena 19:4. For Reinhard Teufel, youth manager at St. Magdalena, the result was secondary: “I was also the referee and only had to call three fouls in the whole game. That is the best result.”
Yesterday, the Acakoro juniors completed a tournament in Ried, which they won comfortably after beating SV Ried (2:0), LASK (5:2), Oedt (2:0) and Neustift (D/6:0). “The children train with us every day because there is no alternative in the slums. For them there is only football, football and football. That is why we are so strong in the U8 area, not even the FC Barcelona juniors can keep up,” says Acakoro co-founder Stefan Köglberger, the son of LASK legend Helmut Köglberger.
In the next few days, the Africans have games in Tyrol and against Red Bull Salzburg on their schedule. Their toughest game is long behind them: it was the match for a visa.
