The Hope That Soccer Brings

The Confederations Cup recently played in South Africa brought some great, exhilarating moments of soccer to the African continent and the world. If it served as a perfect recce for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it also made some young dreams come true. After all, soccer is a game of hope, a democratic religion that transcends all barriers. The perfect vehicle for change…

During the Confed Cup the Under 17 team, SuperSport United, had the privilege of playing none other than Brazil! These young footballers couldn’t believe their eyes when they ran onto the field side by side their soccer idols. Brazil’s reserve squad wearing their customary training gear were marked by the Under 17’s in their youth soccer jerseys. It was a seemingly impossible dream come true for these boys, who took this light practice match seriously. After all, Brazil's reserve squad were soccer stars in their own right, with Alexandre Pato and Julio Baptista to name a few! Luckily, the Brazilians went easy on the local boys, scoring three goals in 30 minutes before calling it a day! What was a simple training match for Brazil turned out to be an opportunity of a lifetime for these Under 17’s, who usually get to see their soccer idols from a distance, that too, if they’re lucky, let alone play with them on the same pitch! Some of the youngsters are so motivated, they’re all set to work hard in the hope that they get a chance to play against these soccer stars in the 2014 World Cup at Brazil! You never know, there’s always hope when it comes to soccer…

As Khoza, Chairman of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, said while inaugurating the Football for Hope Forum, “Football rewards talent and skill, regardless of class or status. In football, all that counts is performance on the field. It matters not if a player is rich or poor. It matters not if a player is tall or short. It matters only who performs on the field. In football, nobody is excluded - everybody is included. In football, hope lives. Hope is never extinguished. In football, nothing is impossible. Everything is possible”. The Forum, held during the Confederations Cup, brought together development institutions and global organisations to address issues like HIV and Aids education in South Africa, landmines in Cambodia, homelessness in England and ethnic conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The idea is to use soccer as a platform for hope and action, with an aim to ensure sustainable living for everyone.
The Football for Hope Forum highlights the fact that soccer has the potential to change the world for the better. As it did for fifteen youngsters who represented South Africa at a youth football tournament in Norway. The chosen ones were mostly orphans who were once taking drugs and living on the streets before they were taken in by SA Cares for Life and taught to play soccer. Called the Lesedi Strikers, this young team was excited about flying and going overseas for the first time.

Around 30,000 children from around the world are expected to attend this youth tournament. Managing Director of SA Cares for Life, Riekie van den Berg, described the tour as life changing for the 15-strong team, "You can see that soccer can change lives and the whole community is behind them and the World Cup is definitely a big part of this, everyone is going soccer mad now”. Surely enough, these kids wore their youth soccer uniforms with great pride and showcased their soccer skills and country’s rich culture to the rest of the world.