Barcelona and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto'o is in South Africa, where he has teamed up with South African Breweries (SAB) and Fives Futbol on an exciting new venture. Find out more about this incredible new project!
Click through the gallery above to see Eto'o at the unveiling of his Legacy Pitch in Strand, Cape Town!
You might have seen images of the legendary striker in the Mother City on our social media channels in recent days, with Soccer Laduma fortunate enough to be among those invited to attend the official launch of the Samuel Eto'o Legacy Pitch in Strand on Thursday!
We are at the launch of the Samuel Eto'o @FivesFutbol Legacy pitch in Strand. The king himself is here! ?? pic.twitter.com/uUkee0GinX
What is the Legacy Pitch, and who is involved in this awesome project?
"South African Breweries (SAB), in partnership with African football legend Samuel Eto'o and Fives Futbol, is ensuring that the development of South African football does not take a back seat during these difficult times, with the official unveiling of a life-changing Legacy Pitch in Cape Town on Thursday, 29 July," a press release read.
"Sport in many parts of the world has unfortunately been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year and a half. Therefore, SAB has joined forces with the legendary Eto'o and Fives Futbol, not only to invest in the stars of tomorrow but to uplift the community in the Mother City.
"Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and strict regulations of gatherings imposed in South Africa, the Legacy Pitch was officially unveiled in an impactful manner whilst adhering to the various regulations and restrictions set out by the country's government. There are two artificial pitches that were unveiled and Eto'o was in attendance to witness the opening of a facility that will go a long way in changing the lives of many boys and girls in the Mother City.
"Just as the name suggests, the Legacy Pitch will leave a lasting legacy by helping to create the stars of tomorrow who can develop their talent and skills through the use of a state-of-the-art facility. The Legacy Pitch will provide a new facility for not only a vast array of community teams and schools, but will additionally be available for wider community use on a daily basis. The objective is to provide NGOs, specifically those working with children, an opportunity to have access to the facility, where they can have events such as football clinics and camps.
"The pitch will promote constant activity in the area for the youth, whilst improving wellbeing levels in the area. The lighting around the two five-a-side pitches means that the facility can be used in the evening. There are plans, in future, to add two more pitches to the site, as well as an indoor action cricket facility."
Eto'o by Fives Legacy Pitch
To honour the former Barcelona and Inter Milan superstar, the Legacy Pitch has been named the "Eto'o by Fives Legacy Pitch", with the 40-year-old remarkably passionate about giving back and developing young talent on the African continent.
Speaking about his hands-on involvement in the project, Eto'o said: "Giving back is something that has always been close to my heart. To have this opportunity to unveil the Legacy Pitch is such an honour for me because I know how much lives it will touch. It will uplift the community and help develop stars that we want to see dominating the world in future. I feel so honoured that the Legacy Pitch will be named after me. I hope the community of Cape Town will benefit from the Legacy Pitch."
