French football legend Thierry Henry was in South Africa to watch the 2019 UEFA Champions League final on television screens with dizzy fans.  



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A teaser campaign on Heineken South Africa’s Twitter page
unveiling the identity of a legendary footballer kicks off the 2019 season of
the UEFA Champions League. 



It certainly piques the attention of South African fans on
social media who tentatively await the unmasking of this legend – French
footballer Thierry Henry.&nbsp; 



Even as fans attempt to piece the mysterious mosaic, the
Champions League 100 club member is already making his way from Europe to watch
the much-anticipated UEFA Champions League tournament final on June 1, on a
giant television screen with his South African fans, at the Kyalami Grand Prix
Circuit race track in Johannesburg.



South Africa’s vibrant football culture finds expression in
all venues, from the dusty make-shift fields that continue to play a crucial
role in community life in townships, to the manicured green pitches of
gargantuan stadiums. 



As Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC take to the field
for the final leg in Spain, here in Johannesburg, all eyes are on Henry, who
can barely focus with all the attention on him. But these are interactions the
former FC Barcelona and Arsenal FC striker would not trade for anything else –
even watching the match in the comfort of his own home. 



“It is always nice to have these moments with South African
fans. Usually, I would be at home watching the game, but now, I am in South
Africa. It is a bit surreal to watch the Champions League that happens in
Europe, in Africa,” he tells FORBES AFRICA.&nbsp;




Watching the all-English final on South African soil evoked
nostalgia, and Henry reminisces the beginning of an illustrious career in
football.&nbsp; 



“I went to Monaco [to play] as a youngster; that was the
choice. I didn’t know we were going to make the Champions League. I was just
trying to be a football player,” he says.



&nbsp;Henry then moved to
Arsenal, and then Barcelona where he ended up winning the Champions League. 



The bulk of the retired footballer’s career as a player was
in the English Premier League for Arsenal FC that saw him as Arsenal’s all-time
top scorer, with 228 goals, for the club. 



“The moves were based on competing, trying to get the best
out of myself and get the best out of my teammates,” he says. 



Despite a two-nil loss on Henry’s first professional
appearance for Monaco in 1994, first impressions should make a lasting impact,
he says.&nbsp; 



“For me, it is always the first game, it is very important
because you are now on the scene and you need to make sure that everybody can
see what you are about in that particular moment. I remember losing the first
game but I had an impact and the rest is history.”



On June 1, Liverpool FC was crowned champions in the 64th
season of the premier football tournament. 



The win for the English team meant more beer, selfies and
snapshots with Henry for the few lucky South African soccer fans, and again,
the rest is history.&nbsp;

Tag: Thierry Henry

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Football, Beer And Selfies With Thierry Henry