Kylian Mbappe, a famous player for France, arrived in Cameroon on Thursday to an exuberant greeting from fans there for a tour that would involve charity work with children who are deaf as well as a trip to the area where his father was born.
A significant number of the hundreds of people who came to welcome the striker, who is 24 years old, wore the football shirt of his side, Paris Saint-Germain, for the event.
According to a correspondent from AFP, when he came from the airport in the capital city of Yaounde, they yelled their excitement and chanted his name.
Around one hundred people who specialize in traditional dances presented a show in his honor. Before being hauled away in an SUV with tinted windows, the football player gave a broad smile and waved to the crowd while they were being held at a distance by the police.
“It fills us with pride to see our brother from Cameroon. Vannel Kunde, a 16-year-old student at the high school, expressed his enthusiasm, “We want to offer him a very warm welcome.”
During his trip in Yaounde, which is expected to extend for several days, Mbappe, who is also the captain of the French national team, will be staying at a hotel complex that is owned by the family of French former tennis champion Yannick Noah, who now resides in Yaounde.
According to his schedule, which was obtained by AFP, he is going to pay a visit on Friday to a school in the outskirts of the capital city that caters to children and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In addition to that, he is scheduled to take part in a basketball game, and it is anticipated that the game will feature Joakim Noah, the son of retired NBA star Yannick Noah. Later on, he takes part in a football match with FC Vent d’Etoudi, a team that plays in the second level of Cameroon’s football league.
On Saturday, he will go to Douala, the commercial hub of Cameroon, to pay a visit to a school before continuing on to Djebale, the hometown of his father, Wilfried Mbappe. Young in age, his father emigrated from Cameroon to France, where he eventually established a career as a football trainer.
“Walk in the footsteps of your ancestors,” they say.
According to a statement released by Mbappe’s staff in Paris, the trip will provide Mbappe with the opportunity to visit two schools in Yaounde and Douala that are funded by his own charity organization, Inspired by KM.
Additionally, it is an opportunity for him to “spend time with young Cameroonians and follow in the footsteps of his ancestors in Djebale,” according to the report.
One of the people who was waiting to catch a sight of Mbappe at the airport, Arsene Pinlap, 37, spoke of feeling “a pride” as a Cameroonian in bringing the star to the west African nation of Cameroon.
According to the leader of the Paris Saint-Germain fan group in Yaounde, “But it’s also an honor to be able to see the best player in the world,” remarked Neymar.
Another supporter, student Armelle Ntsama, who is 18 years old, shared her enthusiasm by stating, “It’s a great joy for us, the children who love football.”
According to the statement released by his team, the French player is also scheduled to meet with some of the authorities from the nation, including the Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. During these meetings, the footballer is expected to discuss projects that he would want to put up in Cameroon.
This visit comes at a time when worries over Mbappe’s future with Paris Saint-Germain are still being raised.
Mbappe said a month ago that he would not be extending his contract, which is set to expire the next year. However, he has suggested that he wants to remain for one more season.
Because of this, the club has to sell the player within the current transfer window; otherwise, it is possible that they will lose him at no cost after his contract has expired.
If Mbappe wishes to continue playing for PSG in the upcoming campaign, PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi reiterated on Wednesday that he “must sign a new contract” in order to do so.
After making the move from Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017 in a transaction of 180 million euros (about 196 million dollars), he has gone on to become one of the most renowned players in the world.