World Cup Mania: The beautiful game

When heavy rains led to flooding in the The Chawama Compound on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, the local government and The Red Cross worked together to build a new-tented community in the fields beneath the national "independence" soccer stadium. For the Chawama football team it also meant a change of venue to the Mula MBE Basic school football ground, quite a step down from their usual venue but the football team persevered.

Like so many African neighbourhoods the Mula football ground lies at the heart of the community and on a Sunday afternoon people gather to watch and cheer for their local team in tuff competitions fought with bare feet and determination. The Mula ground has little grass left, is uneven and has a road that passes through its halfway line. The traffic and pedestrians don't stop for the game but the players adapt. For those I saw, Football, the beautiful game, was as good to watch here, in the slums of Zambia, as anywhere in the world.

Everyone I spoke to was proud of the fact the World Cup was being held in their continent for the first time and on grounds like this across Africa the young dream of playing one day on the world stage. This evening Chawama was victorious over their arch rivals. The Lost Boys and they danced and sung as they made their way back to their tented homes.

Video: D J Clark

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