Somewhere in Buluza village in Iganga district in Uganda, I met Yusuf, a 13-year-old Ugandan. What attracted me to him was the shirt he was putting on. It had the image of Essien. Michael Essien has proved to be a commanding midfield presence for Chelsea since signing from Lyon for £24.4m in August 2005. Chelsea completed the protracted signing of Essien in August 2005 after a chase, which had lasted the whole summer. He made his debut as a second half substitute in a 1-0 victory over Arsenal and made an instant impact. Essien had tasted success early in his career as he picked up a gold medal with Ghana at the African Under-17 Championship and a bronze medal at World Under-17 Championships.
He moved to France in 2001 when joining Bastia from Liberty Professionals, reaching the French Cup final in his debut season. That same year he had won another medal - silver at World Youth Championships. The midfielder made his full debut for Ghana at the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Lyon made their move for Essien in 2003, paying £5.2million, after he had made 66 appearances and scored 11 goals for Bastia. By the end of his first season he was already being linked with Liverpool and Everton. His success continued in 2007 as he was named Chelsea's Player of the Year, adding League Cup and FA Cup winners' medals to his Premiership title of 12 months earlier. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/profile?id=9799&cc=5739
Yusuf goes to school at Ibun Baz secondary school, a school near his home. He is in his first year at the secondary school. He has 2 sisters; Abiba Naigaga aged 10 and Aisa Babirye aged 8 years. Despite adorning a Chelsea T shirt, Yusuf is an ardent supporter of arsenal football club. He knows everything about the club.
Arsenal also known by their nickname The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London. They play in the Premier League and are one of the most successful clubs in English football, having won thirteen First Division and Premier League titles and ten FA Cups. They hold the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the English top flight and are the only Premier League side to have completed a season unbeaten.
Arsenal were founded in 1886 and were the first Southern club to join the Football League, in 1893. They won their first major trophies in the 1930s, with five League Championship titles and two FA Cups. After a lean period in the post-war years they became the second club of the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup Double in 1970–71, and during the past twenty years have recorded a series of successes – in this time Arsenal have won a Cup Double, two further League and FA Cup Doubles, and became the first London club to reach the UEFA Champions League Final. Arsenal is one of the richest clubs in English football (valued at over £600m as of 2008), and thanks to their stature, has regularly featured in portrayals of football in British culture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_F.C.
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