Nakuru City Football Academy Coach: 'What we learned from our six-day Barcelona trip'

Nakuru City Football Academy’s young footballers are returning home today with more than souvenirs after an intensive football development trip to Barcelona, Spain, a journey their coach describes as an eye-opening experience that has reshaped how both players and coaches view the game.

Speaking to Mtaa Wangu in an interview from Barcelona, head coach Chirspine Wesonga says the trip was deliberately chosen to expose the players to one of the world’s most advanced football environments.

“We chose Barcelona because we already share strong football relationships here. There are people we connect with easily, and that made it possible for us to come and train and play here,” Wesonga says, adding that this was the academy’s second visit to Barcelona, following a similar tour in January.

Unlike a sightseeing tour, the visit was structured as a high-intensity football camp, combining daily training sessions with competitive friendly matches against international academy sides.

“We trained with Spanish coaches and played several friendly matches. We faced teams from different parts of the world,” Wesonga emphasizes.

During the tour, Nakuru City Academy played against Athletic Club (Poland), Futvalley (Poland), Remy Football Academy from South Korea, and Spanish side Costa Daurada FC, giving the young players a rare opportunity to test themselves against diverse football styles and cultures.

Wesonga says the academy travelled with 37 players aged between nine and 17 years, accompanied by four coaches. Throughout the camp, the players trained in professional facilities, followed structured nutrition programmes and experienced football at a level few grassroots players in Kenya ever encounter.

For Wesonga, the exposure went far beyond tactics and match results.

“With kids, you don’t look at performance or results. You look at development and experience.This trip was about learning, understanding the standards, discipline and seriousness that football demands at the highest level,” he says.

According to Wesonga, gaps in training facilities, nutrition, medical support and structured schedules remain major challenges back home, issues that individual academies cannot solve on their own.

“Some of these challenges are a national issue such as government policy issues. As academies, we cannot change everything,” he says.

Beyond the training pitch, the players also immersed themselves in football culture, including watching a live Barcelona match and touring the iconic Camp Nou (iconic home stadium of FC Barcelona in Spain) experiences Wesonga says are invaluable for young players from developing football nations.

“These are things you cannot get from television. Parents should help their children gain such exposure. It’s not just about playing locally. Seeing how things are done elsewhere opens the mind of players," the coach says.

 He further mentions the trip was fully funded by parents, a gesture the parents praised for.

Wesonga confirms the academy’s delegation is set to return to Kenya on December 16,

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