In case you’re curious, karibu means “welcome” in Swahili—a word I’ve often heard during my interactions with journalists and scouts across East Africa. It was hard to miss at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, where the term lit up numerous LED advertising boards as my Kenya Airways flight from Lagos touched down at about 6:08 a.m. local time on Saturday.
After a brief stop and some forced delays, we journeyed onward to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar, where my good friend Chris Emenyonu (NPFL Tori), who had earlier arrived during the week, was waiting to pick me up.
Thanks to my boss, Calvin Onwuka, the Gratis Visa arrangement at the Island’s Immigration point made the clearance process effortless. However, while retrieving my luggage, I discovered my suitcase was damp and a few of its wheels damaged. Still, my spirits remained intact—after all, I had just set foot in yet another foreign land, all because of my enduring connection to the sport I cherish most: football.
After linking up with Chris, I headed to exchange my cash for the local currency. Unlike our AFCON 2023 experience in Côte d’Ivoire, the Naira actually holds more value than the Tanzanian Shilling this time. So, there’s still a bit of hope, right?
We rushed to the Amaan Stadium, where the CHAN Eagles had been playing their matches, to obtain my accreditation before heading to the media centre to work on the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup draws. The accreditation process was seamless, and we were in the media centre—quite a decent place.
After work, hunger kicked in, so we headed to the market in search of some protein. Communicating with the locals proved challenging, as very few spoke English. We ended up relying on gestures and improvised sign language to get our point across. Eventually, we managed to find what we were looking for and sealed the deal without a hitch.
Meanwhile, we all have heard sweet things about Zanzibar, and how beautiful a place it was. However, it was a case of “What I ordered v What I got“. I will come back to this later in the coming diaries.
We eventually made it to our accommodation, where I had my first bath, while Chris made a sumptuous spaghetti for us to eat. To round up the day, we decided to catch the ValueJet Cup game between Rivers United and Abia Warriors, but I ended up sleeping off due to the borefest. By the way, football takes people places!
So, remember to watch this space for more of these diaries and sporting articles for the remainder of the competition.
