Have you ever watched the movie Pelé , which is about the Brazilian football legend Pelé? Malaba Soccer Academy’s Eric Joseph Onyapidi watched that movie, and it inspired him to fall in love with the game. He is now among the most exciting talents, not only in Tororo but in Eastern Uganda and Uganda as a whole. But how did he get here?
Before delving into that, let’s learn a bit about Eric Onyapidi. He comes from Malaba, a town in Tororo District in the Eastern Region of Uganda. His mother is Amoit Margret, and his father is Katabani Joseph. Eric is now a senior Four candidate at Rubongi Army Secondary School, where he plays for the boys’ football team and doubles as the team captain. His football journey began with Malaba Soccer Academy.
Eric captained the Rubongi Army Secondary School boys’ football team that recently made it all the way to the regional and national tournaments—the first time for the school to reach the regionals. He has also won around 11 trophies with Malaba Soccer Academy, where he has been since 2018.
How Eric Joined Malaba Soccer Academy
Malaba Soccer Academy began around 2018 with one under-12 team, under the leadership of Coach Sowedi. Later, in 2019, after a series of activities and an understanding of the way things are done, the academy started an under-10 team.
Eric joined the academy around the end of 2018 as a promising kid in the under-12 section. At that time, he was a winger in the number 11 position. However, as time went by, the academy wanted to build a multi-purpose player. This led to trying Eric in the midfield.
Surprisingly, Eric seemed so natural in the midfield area, and ever since then, he has never looked back. He was born to play in the midfield position. Coach Sowedi speaks of Eric as “a hardworking player, a good leader who supports the team, and he has the spirit of the game.” Eric was promoted to the under-17 team, where he’s now captaining the team.
Challenges and Impact of the Academy
The academy mostly faces challenges with funding since they have no managers or sponsors, and some parents are not supportive.
With a mission to empower the youth to thrive in life through football and education, the academy has significantly impacted a number of youths’ lives. The academy also tries to secure bursaries for the players and currently has 7 players on bursaries from different age groups.
Coach Sowedi says Eric is “one of the best we have built and also a motivation for the young ones. We are pretty sure in 7 years’ time, Eric is going to be our biggest export and pride.” Currently, the academy has the following age groups: under-10, under-12, and under-14.They also hope to start a girls’ team during the course of this year
The academy can do more than they are doing now, but they are held back by inadequate resources. Coach Sowedi appeals to anyone out there who believes in the academy’s mission and vision to come in and give a hand as sponsors. You can contact him via WhatsApp/Phone at +256778877058.