African football adventure for Whitehall man

It was an adventure of a lifetime and, for Whitehall-based sports physio and performance coach, Rayan Wilson an opportunity to work at one of the world’s most passionate and colourful footballing tournaments.

The 30-year-old has recently returned from the 2015 African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, where he was working for DR Congo as a sports physio.

Day-to-day Rayan runs Back2Action, working with aspiring and elite football professionals supporting their conditioning, game preparation, and injury recovery but, thanks to a chance encounter, he found himself as only one of two British support staff in the whole tournament.

He spoke to Neil Maggs about his African adventure.

With my role as a Performance coach & physio, I have a number of elite professionals that are my clients, not only in Bristol but across the country. One of these is Yannick Bolasie, a DR Congo international who plays in the Premier League for Crystal Palace , he invited me to look after him throughout the tournament.

When it became apparent that they didn’t have a hugely experienced group of physios, I was invited to take up a role of overseeing and supporting the entire team.
 
The only other British resident in the tournament was Jamie Lawrence, who was performance coach with Ghana who lost in the final – so it was a real honour for both of us. It’s funny because as a black man everyone kept asking me which part of Africa I was from. And when I told them that I live in a city called Bristol in England, but am of Jamaican descent, they all said how much they liked Jamaicans.

To be honest I wasn’t sure how well I would be welcomed , but everyone treated me with a high degree of respect.

DR Congo reached the semi-finals and we lost against Ivory Cost the eventual winners– a team that had world class players such as the likes of Manchester City’s Yaya Toure, Wilfred Boni and Gervinho of Roma. This was a great achievement to get so far. The style of the football in the tournament is very different, very fast paced and end to end.

There is a disparity between the top players that play in Europe and those that are domestic African players – not so much in ability but decision making, and tactically. But that is what is why the tournament is so fascinating, that you have some of the world’s biggest stars playing alongside local unknown players.

Games are fast paced, so players collide like buses at times but there were a few (injuries), but nothing major. The main one was to Youssouf Mulumbu, the West Brom captain, who pulled his hamstring, which needed a lot of treatment.

The African players that play in Europe react differently to injuries, needing rest and massages, whereas the domestic players like to train everyday whether they are carrying knocks or not. The culture dictates that they don’t really admit when they are injured, so that was a hurdle to overcome.

The crowds were amazing – they love their football in Africa , everyone is playing everywhere. Football players are literally treated like Gods! After matches we were mobbed by fans, it was great to spend some time with them, such friendly people.

In Africa it’s interesting because they don’t just support their team, they support success, flair and entertainment. So you will find fans applauding an opposition player for a particular move or pass, bit like they do in cricket. A good example of this was pre-tournament when we played Cameroon, and the fans started cheering after one of our goals, was strange, a very different feel – but I liked it.

We saw lots of the country on our travels from place to place, but didn’t get much chance to visit schools or community projects. This is partly due to the sheer workload but also as its such a high-level tournament, there are security risks. We had police and military escorting us everywhere.

The country is obviously more deprived. I saw lots of young semi-naked toddlers aged 4 or 5 working for their parents carrying food or water, which was shocking. One particular memory for me was seeing a man sat by the side of the road staring into space on the way to training, then on our return four hours later he was still there in the same place. It made me think there really is little for people to do here, very upsetting.

You see images of Africa on TV, but nothing prepares you for your own eyes. I now realise that when things get bad in Bristol, they are never really that bad. The trip has made me come back more focused on my career, to affect change in other cultures and societies.  I believe that I can do that through the international language of football.

In Bristol lots of football opportunities are denied to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) young people, so I am determined to help them fulfil their potential and overcome any barriers. I have seen too many of our young black players drift out of the professional scene in our city, we all need to recognise this and make things better, and I plan to do just that.

Listen to Neil’s full interview with Rayan on BCfm live every Tuesday 6-8pm (93:2FM) or live on web & catch up on all podcasts of shows:
http://bcfmradio.com/sportsbar

Rayan Wilson and Back2Action performance and physio programme follow him on @rayanwilson or @back2action.

All photos: Credit Rayan Wilson