Wilfried to house workers
KOLO VOWS TO MAKE PELE’S WORLD DREAM COME TRUE
WILFRIED ZAHA has opened up properties he owns across London free to NHS workers.
The Crystal Palace star owns some 50 apartments in the capital as part of his ZO Properties company he runs with business partner Obi Williams.
The duo are offering unused rooms to NHS staff who might need accommodation as they help fight the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the country.
Yesterday the Eagles winger, via Williams’ Twitter account, put out a message calling for NHS staff who need housing to get in touch.
Williams said: “Wilf and I were talking about the situation and we said we have enough rooms available to do something useful.
“I have friends who have family members who work in the NHS. My son was born in an NHS hospital and they were just amazing.
“We have around 50 apartments all across London and rooms empty in them.
“It is possible that people are going to get contaminated and the last thing we want is for them to pass it on to others. They can isolate themselves if they need to in our properties.
“But not only that – if staff need somewhere to stay after shifts too.
“All they have to do is let us know what location they are based in and we will see what we can do. This is for people who are working in the hospitals and the NHS who need the assistance.
“Now it is time to stand up for everybody, anyone who can help – it is time to stand up.”
Anyone who needs help can get in touch with them on Obi@ Zoproperties.com.
On Wednesday, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich granted full use of Stamford Bridge’s Millennium Hotel to NHS staff free of charge, while former Manchester United star Gary Neville made a similar gesture with two hotels he co-owns in Manchester.
■
IF A return to football seems ages away, spare a thought for Pele.
In 1977, the Brazilian superstar predicted an African team would one day win the World Cup. He claimed it would happen before the year 2000 – but instead the wait will now be at least 45 years, when Qatar 2022 kicks off.
Kolo Toure thinks he knows why it has not happened yet – because none of the teams have had the right manager.
But now he is working hard to be the trailblazer who finally makes Pele’s bold prediction come true.
The former Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool defender is currently learning his trade under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers as a first-team coach at Leicester.
Despite playing under Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola, Toure is taking nothing for granted and is studying for his UEFA Pro Licence at St George’s Park.
“If you want to bring the best to the players, you have to learn the best philosophy of football playing,” he said. “You have to learn the best way to coach players.
“Some of my friends who have been playing maybe haven’t thought of that but I want to
■ do it because I think Africa needs that, Africa needs people who can inspire them.
“There always has to be one person to start – and then the rest will follow.”
As a player, Toure was one of the early African imports to the Premier League when he signed for Arsenal in 2002.
“I felt I had to do everything he said.
“When you are the first player to come from your country people judge every other Ivory Coast player by how you do.
“If you do things right they will always think, ‘Kolo Toure comes from the Ivory Coast and he’s doing well,’ and they will go and find new talent there.
“After me, so many players from the Ivory Coast came here to express their talent. I was very proud of that.”
Up until now, African teams at the World Cup finals have usually been managed by foreigners.
Aside from the countries on the Mediterranean coast, who tend to appoint coaches internally, only five of the 27 other African teams to compete in the finals had a coach from the continent.
“For all the knowledge of coming in, you have to know player,” Toure added.
“People are more relaxed, and timing is not so very, very important. You have to go there and make sure every detail is dealt with.
“If you don’t nail things back there, you will miss something at the end. It may be you need to maybe put an extra discipline on them.
“Of course you want them to express themselves but you have to make sure that you tell them things in the right moment and at the right time.”
If anybody has the charisma to carry it off, it is Toure. The former defender has won over fans wherever he has played. And then there is that ‘Kolo, Kolo’ song...
“It touches my heart,” Toure said. “When you come to another country and the people embrace you, give you praise and even sing your name... it is unbelievable.
“Fifteen years ago, if somebody had told me, ‘Kolo, people will be singing your name everywhere in the UK,’ I would say, ‘Are you joking, or what?.’
“This is a dream for me.”
And managing the Ivory Coast to a World Cup Final is his next. properly,” the the coach African