Everton’s first-team recently spent a whirlwind 48 hours in the Tanzania, while the trip may have been short lived the caused quite a stir in Dar Es Salaam. The game was well attended by locals and some travelling fans from England with SportPesa offering complimentary match tickets to Everton supporters making the journey to Tanzania. It is also worth mentioning that Everton Football club has made history by becoming the first Premier League side ever to play in the East African country.
Everton vice captain Leighton Baines on landing in Tanzania
"We received a very warm welcome,” he said. “It is very interesting for us as the Maasai welcome is not something we see at home. We’ve just come straight off the plane and we are all excited to be here. – Leighton Baines
The reason for the tour
The trip, which celebrates the Club’s new main partnership with gaming giant SportPesa, which saw Blues of Merseyside play at the 60,000-capacity Tanzania National Main Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam on Thursday 13 July. It was not all football related for the Everton team as the Blues got out and about to meet locals, visit schools and hospitals and even take part in a traditional dance with a group of Maasai warriors.
Their opponents
Gor Mahia FC has earned the chance to play Everton in a pre-season game in Tanzania next month after they were crowned champions of the SportPesa Super Cup.
The SportPesa Super Cup is a two-country, eight-team tournament that sees four sides from Kenya’s top tier, the SportPesa Premier League, playoff in a knockout competition against four teams from Ligu Kuu Bara, the Premier League of the Football Federation of Tanzania, for the right to take on Ronald Koeman's side. Which Gor Mahia won with a 3-0 victory in the final against fellow Kenyan side AFC Leopards.
Gor Mahia is based in Nairobi and is Kenya’s most successful club, having won the country’s top division a record 15 times.
The Match
An amazing game played in Dar es Salaam saw Everton eventually beating Gor Mahia in a thrilling 2-1 win. While fans in attendance were treated to a stunning goal by newly returned former Manchesterer United star Wayne Rooney.
