On May 12, 2012, a 57 year old trophy will be sitting on a table somewhere in the Bayern Munich Stadium waiting for a new owner.
That is in just about two months. But before then, there is some unfinished business as some of the best players will be battling it out for a ticket to Germany for the final.
But as the teams spend sleepless nights working on strategies, the trophy in question is also having a tour! How many would like to have a glimpse of the coveted trophy and if not, just touch it? I know many players and fans would.
Next question, suppose you stumbled (literally) on the trophy somewhere in Nairobi or Mombasa, what would you do? Like a doubting Thomas, I would presume it was not real! In any case, isn’t that the way we brush shoulders with our world beating athletes on the streets of Nairobi when outside Kenya they are adored and have a celebrity status?
Just for the records, the UEFA trophy will be in Kenya from March 28-31 as we exclusively reported. And some lucky fans will get a chance to be in the same room with the Sh988 million-worth trophy, thanks to Heineken, the sponsors of UEFA Cup.
Undoubtedly Kenya is tourist destination, even for trophies! The Soccer World Cup trophy already made its rounds here. Kenya is one of the soccer-mad countries that devotedly follow UEFA Cup and other European Leagues.
This week, so many Kenyans rooted for their teams late into the night and were rewarded with some thrilling performances by Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Marseille. It is the same excitement that will be expected when former Dutch star Ruud Gullit and Nigerian Celestine Babayaro accompany the UEFA Cup on its Safari.
It is the first time the UEFA Cup will be displayed in Kenya…a fitting destination for Kenya’s soccer fans and Heineken recognizes the passion Kenyans have for soccer and for the UEFA Cup.
When the winners lift aloft the coveted trophy on May 12, 2012 in Munich, Kenyan soccer fans will share the joy of one Macdonald Mariga who was part of the Inter Milan team that won the trophy in 2010, because they too will have seen the trophy live!
