Some experiences are life-changing and the Everton Football College’s (EFC) tour of Cape Town is up there with the best of them.

Hosted by the Spirit Foundation and the Spirit International Football Academy (SIFA), the young Merseyside giants came to South Africa with football in mind and left with our country in their hearts.

But it wasn’t just the Everton lads that grew and matured during their tour, everyone connected with SIFA benefited from meeting, interacting with, sharing experiences, being coached by FA Cup winner Joe Parkinson and playing against an English Premiership College team.

Known as ‘The People’s Club’, many boys belonging to the EFC come from some of the most deprived areas of the UK and so getting to know the SIFA players and understanding their own background allowed bonds to be forged that will endure and forever bind friendships between the boys.

On the football pitch, it is fair to say that the two teams were very evenly matched, resulting on a 1-1 draw, a fitting result reflecting mutual respect and quite different styles of play.

But it was off the pitch that most of the life-changing experiences unfolded.

In addition to surfing at Muizenberg, hopping on and off the bus around the peninsula and scaling iconic Table Mountain on the hottest day of the year, the Blue Boys were hosted by the Spirit Foundation and SIFA in visiting local cultural and cuisine highlights, particularly in township areas.

The EFC boys were particularly impressed by their visit to the League of Friends of the Blind (LOFOB) as well as the SANCCOB sanctuary. Amazed by the work done by LOFOB, the boys were shown and participated in soccer and cricket games, learning a whole new skill set and marveling at the performances of the blind and visually impaired players. Among other things, this experience left the boys with a deeper appreciation of disability sport and those who play it. Hopefully, this will be conveyed back home on Merseyside.

At SANCCOB, the boys were simply completely taken not only by the support of the Spirit Foundation and the warm water pool it provided, but by the incredibly informative talks provided by staff and even being allowed to hold and pet the more habituated tame birds. Not quite the Liver Birds, of course, but a memorable experience, all of which was captured on video.

Though a Gooner (Arsenal), SIFA General Manager, Bryce Lenders, was an exemplary host to the EFC throughout their tour and has a new found respect and fondness for Everton.

Bryce comments, “Through being with the EFC for the past fortnight, I have come to know and appreciate what it means when people talk about “The People’s Club” and I will now always have a particular place for the club and the boys in my heart and will watch their development into becoming Premiership superstars with great interest. Well, until the come up against Arsenal that is.”

But the final word goes to Spirit Foundation, SIFA Chairman and lifelong Evertonian, Ian Kilbride, “It was such a pleasure bringing together the EFC boys and the SIFA lads not only to play together, but to learn from each other and build lasting friendships. I want to thank everyone who helped make this happen and for the fabulous work put into the tour by the Spirit Foundation and SIFA. The entire programme was an immense success and I look forward to our relationships growing even stronger in the years to come.”