CHINA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER- Afrika United team storms Beijing league ahead of World Cup

Record ID: 336279

  • Title: CHINA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER- Afrika United team storms Beijing league ahead of World Cup
  • Date: 3rd June 2010
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) AFRIKA UNITED PLAYERS JOGGING IN TWO LINES PLAYERS RUNNING PAST PLAYERS SLAPPING KNEES IN WARM-UP VARIOUS OF PLAYERS SLAPPING ANKLES IN WARM-UP VARIOUS OF PLAYERS LINED UP/LOOSENING SHOULDERS ELDERLY CHINESE MAN WATCHING PLAYERS JOGGING ON SPOT 31-YEAR-OLD STUDENT FROM SOUTH AFRICA MANGALISO TSHABALALA JUMPING ON SPOT (SOUNDBITE)
  • Embargoed: 18th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4EX3ZK7WFNNL38HN6KD6G3H80
  • Story Text: Afrika United -- China's premier African football team -- wins Beijing's international amateur league, bringing the African football spirit to the east ahead of the continent's first World Cup.
    China's best-known African football team are aiming high, and contributing to the World Cup fever.
    Afrika United -- an amateur team in Beijing's international league -- started in 1995 and has players from nine African nations, from Cameroon to Egypt.
    From students to diplomats, they are united by both a continent and by their love of the beautiful game.
    Like an increasing number of young Africans, many players have been drawn to China by opportunities created by a booming economy and ever-closer ties with their continent.
    With a loyal following and considerable media attention, they are swiftly becoming the public face of China's growing African community with appearances on China Central Television (CCTV) and starring in a documentary ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
    The 2010 South Africa World Cup -- which will be held on African soil for the first time in history -- kicks off on June 11th.
    Excitement for the international competition is growing in China, where watching and playing football are now hugely popular with the young and old alike.
    Mangaliso Tshabalala, a 31-year-old student from South Africa, said he was happy to be an ambassador for African football.
    "Most of the locals here, Chinese people, when they ask 'where are you from, what country?' they immediately, they... they have a light in their eyes, their face, like... You can see that they are excited because they know that South Africa is hosting the World Cup so ... If two questions were asked about South Africa, one would be Mandela, and the other would be the South African World Cup," he said.
    Africa United are not used to losing, and have already won the International Friendship Football Club (IFFC) league seven times.
    But up against long-term rivals the Peking Strollers, who beat them in the final of the 2010 cup, the team have a fight on their hands in the 2010 league decider, which runs separately to the cup.
    Huddled together, they let out their signature cry of "Hakuna Matata" -- a Swahili phrase often translated as 'no worries' -- before the kick-off in a park on the outskirts of the capital.
    Twenty-four-year-old English teacher trainer Viola Chen who hasn't missed a game since she met her boyfriend, captain of the team Adam Labaran, has watched the team's popularity grow.
    "Now you get to see so many other people come and join us. And they even come every weekend to just support the team. And in this case, it is a really a good chance for the Africans to show off their advantages in football. And they, they really work hard on it," she said.
    Under the sweltering heat of Beijing's afternoon sun and back on form, Afrika United dribbled and used short, fast passes to get past their opponents' defence.
    The mainly English team played a more physical game, but were outmatched and exhausted by their rivals, who scored goal, after goal.
    Ninety minutes later, and eight goals up, Afrika United took their eighth league title after three years of near-misses.
    Following their victory, the team celebrated with fans and friends on the side of the pitch.
    Captain Adam Labaran, a 28-year-old petroleum geology student from Nigeria, said it was a good sign for African teams this month.
    "Well, I'm very excited and I think that this is very good for the team. We haven't won this for quite a while and this means a lot. And this is a good sign, you know, that we're really going to do something at the World Cup," he said.
    While most of them will be far from home for the World Cup itself, the team can be proud to have spread the enthusiasm of the African football in China.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register