Chelsea to grace Copa Coca-Cola

training camp in Pretoria where they will help the young talented footballers train like champions under their tutelage.
Speaking during the announcement, which comes a week before the players depart for South Africa, Coca-Cola Senior Franchise Brand Manager Mona Karingi hailed the partnership.
“When you think of Chelsea you think of great African football stars such as John Obi Mikel from Nigeria and Michael Essien from Ghana, all reasons to believe in Africa.
“Add these to the club’s international team and there’s very little doubt that Chelsea’s strength lies in its diversity, a value that Coca-Cola subscribes to, given our global footprint,” noted Karingi.
The coaches will take the young footballers through various skill drills designed to help improve their control, shooting, dribbling, and passing.
Countries taking part in this year’s international camp include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, DRC, Mauritius and Nigeria.
Each year, COPA Coca-Cola gives hundreds of budding stars an opportunity to refine their skills through inter-country competitions and exposure to world-class football.
In 2011, Coca-Cola partnered with the club in a deal which saw 98 young COPA Coca-Cola footballers from 10 nations travel to Chelsea where they trained in one of the world’s finest football training centres, Cobham.
The players not only honed their skills under the guidance of the club’s coaches but also watched a live match pitting Chelsea against Swansea.
COPA Coca-Cola has a long legacy in Africa with a presence of 24 years in Zimbabwe, 19 years in Uganda, 10 years in Zambia and Mozambique, and 5 years in Kenya.
Throughout this period numerous success stories have come from the tournament including Zimbabwe’s Knowledge Musona, who now plays in Germany at FC Augsurg.