Young Footballers from Arcadia Football Academy will no longer have to play bare foot, following a donation of equipment from former Orlando Pirates player Micheal Matroos. Arcadia Football Club was established in 1986 to provide young people from Katutura and Khomasdal with a recreational activity in the form of playing football. The Academy operates from an open area in Grysblock in Katutura, is part of the Khomas youth league and more than 60 players under nine to under 17 are registered. They rely on individual contributions to effectively run their operations. Training takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while they have games on Saturdays. Coach Frenky Inana said with their training sessions, they are trying to keep youngsters off the streets. “God sent him to us. We were struggling because the parents do not support them and with football, you need to have soccer boots and chin guards. But if the parents do not want to support them, the kids come here with sneakers or bare feet. He came at the right time”, Inana added. Former Orlando Pirates player Micheal Matroos - who resides in the UK - donated this second hand equipment to the academy to plough back into grassroots development. “It's not going to be the first time. Since I was a footballer myself I know if you really don't have this equipment you will be stuck. You can go play bare foot and come back with an injury and all that stuff, so I was thinking let me do something for these boys”. Among the first players of the club were Finastus Mutiwali, Frenky Inana and Moses Nauseb. The club was originally established under the name Rocano Rangers, and played in what was regarded as the Bush League, due to lack of organised football structure for the lower league at the time.