Dream the Blues

Samsung Electronics and Chelsea Football Club helped to realise the football dreams of 12 youngsters with their Dream The Blues campaign, designed to give youth from around the world a once-in-a-lifetime experience by attending a Chelsea football training camp and hospitality programme in London from 14 – 19 May 2013.

The South African youths, Goitsemang Lengene and Mvelo Mvuleni, joined their African team mates Ishmael Mensah from Ghana and Jep Mallam and Moses Magnut from Nigeria for a trip they would never forget. The week-long camp included several training sessions with Chelsea Football Club foundation coaches, meeting and training exclusively with Dream The Blues ambassadors; Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, Oscar dos Santos, and Victor Moses, a tour of Stamford Bridge and the opportunity to attend the last match of the English Premier League season where Chelsea took on Everton.

“Seeing my son training with his sporting heroes and further developing his skills makes me proud,” says Stephen Ngwenya father of Mvelo Mvuleni. “Not only has he learnt a lot from a soccer skills perspective, but certainly training with youths from around the world has opened his eyes to experiences beyond his wildest dreams – allowing him to make friends that will certainly remain long after our return to South Africa.”  Ofentse Kgomontsho, father of Goitsemang Lengene whole heartedly agreed: “I still cannot believe that this has happened – what a wonderful opportunity. Thank you to Samsung and Chelsea for giving us this opportunity.”

Following the exclusive training with the children, soccer star Fernando Torres had nothing but positive comments to make in the media press conference. “It is wonderful to have the chance to play with the kids, even for half an hour. I think the chances that Samsung and Chelsea Football Club have afforded these kids are huge. I wish I had this chance when I was a kid - it was difficult for me to even find a football pitch or a space to play football. This is a great chance for them to play with the players and watch and learn so they can realise that they too can become a footballer and their dreams can come true. It is not far away. It is just that they have to keep trying and working hard.”

“Samsung is focused on youth development and on providing experiences that go beyond expectations. The Dream The Blues campaign has been another way in which we have provided kids who are passionate about football with access to opportunities that help them realise their dreams,” concludes Lucy Jones, Corporate Marketing Lead for Samsung Electronics Africa.