The seeds planted by Samuel Eto'o in Barcelona when he signed a collaborative agreement between the 'Azulgrana' outfit and his foundation are beginning to bear fruit.
Jean Marie Dongou is a prime example of this. The striker, who has already played for the Cameroon national team, arrived in Barcelona in 2008 thanks to the one of the best strikers in Barça's history.
He made his official debut at the age of just 18, making him the first African player to progress through the Barcelona academy's ranks all the way to the first team, and he scored a goal to boot. "I hope the gaffer was happy with my performance," he remarked in Cartagena. This was Tata's reward for making a commitment to his promising youngsters. Gerardo Martino has given three academy players their debuts in the last two weeks: Dongou, Patric and Adama Traoré.