Final thoughts on the SCWC

It’s been an amazing week, for all kinds of reasons.

Seeing street children from different cultures and from eight nations, working together, eating together, playing together and competing together, all in a great spirit and without any unifying language, has been inspirational.

Watching a team of dozens of volunteers from several nations organising the whole thing from scratch, on a budget of not very much, shows what can be done with a vision.

Working with the media teams from across the world, all helping each other with pictures and footage (Tiger Lily Productions owes BMS a big favour!), has been great.

Sure, there have been moments that could have been better – the national anthems debacle would’ve got a producer at the Baptist Assembly shot!

And the intervention by the Durban police in twice rounding up street children while we’ve been here has been a reminder that not everyone wants to give these children hope, dignity and respect.

From a BMS perspective, the work being done by Pastor Siswe at Missionary Baptist Church in Sydenham township is wonderful. Part of the Baptist Convention of South Africa, the church has sent him and others to be volunteers at the event. They’ve cooked for the teams, travelled with them, encouraged them, consoled them, helped them when they were homesick and carried the injured players to the buses.

Siswe says that before the event, his church had no vision for street children, including those who qualify under that heading in his own township. But this has opened his eyes, he says, and he’s already organized a meeting with the organization Umthombo, who they were working with for the tournament, to see how they can begin to address the issue as a church (made up of 70 of the poorest people in Durban).

You can see and feel God at work here. Asking the South African coach if one of his tired young players would have a moment to record something to camera with the BMS film team, his answer was ‘if it’s for God, then no problem’. And in one of the most uplifting moments for us, we got precisely the same response from the coach to the UK team – thanks, Gideon!

But, most of all, listening to the street children telling their stories – of violence, rape, drugs, glue-sniffing, abandonment by family – is profoundly moving. And to find so many Christians at the heart of lifting these children out of that cycle of evil is wonderful.

I want to pay tribute too to the people of other faiths, notably the group working with the Indian team, who have been engaged in similar work, in an act of love driven by their beliefs and compassion too.

There’s a sense of hope here, a sense that it doesn’t have to be the case that young children sleep on the streets, homeless and hopeless.

This is a good start to us embracing the rights of street children as an explicit theme within BMS.

Thanks for following us through the tournament, and for your support for Team Nicaragua, which the children have warmly appreciated.

Goodbye from Durban.

Mark

The final!

The Final

India 1 Tanzania 0

And so to the final match, between the speed of Tanzania (unbeaten so far) and the physicality of the big, powerful Indian team (whose only loss so far in the tournament was to BMS favourites Nicaragua).

Halfway through the first half, and huge controversy. A headed goal for India is ruled out by the referee, who indicates that the scorer had been in the goalkeeper-only area in front of the goal when he touched the ball. Still 0-0.

Moments later, and one of the Tanzanian defenders is sin-binned for a crude challenge on the Indian striker.

It’s all India, but they can’t get the final shot away, due to consistent pressure from the Tanzanian defenders, who seem always to be able to get a tackle in, just at the vital moment.

Into the second half, and with five minutes to go, India are awarded a penalty kick. They score, but the strike is chalked off by the referee for an infringment, meaning that it has to be retaken. With nerves of steel, they young Indian striker coolly slots it home, and India are ahead.

There’s panic in the Tanzanian ranks now. They’re a player down for the remainder of the match, the incident leading to the penalty having resulted in a sin-bin penalty for one of their players.

The crowd are chanting down the seconds now, and as the buzzer goes, India become the first ever Street Child World Cup champions.

They’re worthy winners on the day, and we have to hope that they’ll be back in Brazil in 2014 to defend their title.

Plate final

Plate Final - Sunday

South Africa 1 Philippines 1

The final of the plate competition (for the four teams who didn’t make the main semifinals) kicks off in the midst of furious drumming from the crowds of African supporters.

We’re only six minutes in when underdogs South Africa take the lead with a shot that only just makes it across the goal line. Five minutes later and it’s one all, as the Philippines craft a great move from halfway, ending with a blazing shot from just outside the area that leaves the SA goalkeeper with nothing else to do but pick the ball out of the net.

Half time and the scores are level after an end-to-end first session.

Ten minutes to go, and we’re still level in a pulsating game – this final might just go to penalty kicks. As the match nears an end, both teams are playing cautiously, with most players staying behind the ball, and long punts forward being the only attacking weapon in use. The referee blows for full time with the teams locked at 1-1, and we’re into extra time of five minutes each way. If the teams spend it playing like they did in the second half, we’ll be in a penalty shoot-out in ten minutes!

But only seconds before the end of the first period of extra time, the Philippines take the lead with a stunning header from a corner. The pressure’s really on the South Africa team now… and their hundreds of fans in the arena are growing restless.

But their efforts are not enough – the referee blows for full time, and the Philippines have claimed the Plate Trophy at the Street Child World Cup 2010.

And in doing so, they’ve cleared the way for them to have a homecoming parade in the capital city, led by the world’s greatest boxer, Manny Pacquiao, who’d promised to do so if they brought home any silverware.

Well done Team Philippines!!

Durban disgraced again

In a serious new development, Durban police today (Saturday) again cracked down on local street children, rounding them up and taking them into custody. A ‘Sun’ reporter, filming the round-ups, was himself arrested.

All of this on the day after Durban mayor, Obed Mlaba, spoke to all the SCWC competitors and organizers at the city’s new stadium, promising his support for the event and for the rights of children in the city and beyond.

In fact, Mayor Mlaba even promised the children that he’d get along to this afternoon’s semifinals, but failed to make an appearance.

The children taking part in the event, by contrast, have shown themselves to warm, generous and participative towards each other, despite the lack of any common language (other than football) across the teams.

If only Durban’s authorities could bring themselves to show the same humanity towards their city’s poorest children.

Match 16 (semi final 2)

U.K. 1 India 3

The U.K.’s skilful winger is starting between the sticks once again. India have a few players of real quality including perhaps the tournaments most prolific goal scorer up front. Team U.K. also sporting quality but by far the most physical team maybe too strong for the Indian opposition.

It looks like a good game as we kick off. It’s end to end and being played at quite a pace.

India take the lead! Out of nowhere a beautiful ball is whipped into the box and nodded home by that striker. One of the U.K. midfielders picks the ball up on the halfway line and sends a stinging shot towards goal and tipped wide. The score is level as the resulting corner is fired straight at the keeper who palms into his own net.

It’s heating up, the frustration of the U.K. is beginning to show. India go 2-1 in front thanks to a volley that’s too strong for the keepers hands. The U.K. go down to six men yet again for a cynical tackle. India play a wise but frustrating game as they seek to wind down the clock and wind up the opposition.

India score once more and the fate of the U.K. is surely sealed as only 2 minutes remain on the clock.

The whistle sounds and we look forward to an India Tanzania final.

Match 15 Semi final

Nicaragua 0 Tanzania 3

Now it’s time for the semi finals of the main event. The team with the 100% record, Nicaragua, take on the solid all round team, Tanzania.

Fierce shots by Tanzania early on but to no avail. It’s anyone’s game as both teams are scrapping for possession. Shots from both teams are kept out of the nets by solid performances for the goalies.

Tanzania seem to just have the attacking edge and Nicaragua are hurling themselves into challenges, keeping the score at 0-0.

A fantastic goal by Tanzania early in the second half. The ball breaks on edge of box the striker beats his man and drills it in bottom corner. Tanzania look like a different team all of a sudden, full of confidence and looking very hungry in attack. It’s difficult to see where a goal might come from for the Central Americans.

A contender for goal of the tournament puts Tanzania 2-0 in front. The young African steams through and blasts into the near top corner.

Tanzania put away another 6 mins from time which makes them comfortable 3-0 winners in the end. Based on the Tanzanians second half performance they are worthy finalists indeed, full of passing vision, individual skill and team spirit.

Match 14 (plate semi final 2)

South Africa 2 Brazil 1

Can Brazil go home with at least one win under their belt or will the Africans be inspired to victory by the once again deafening support?

It seems both teams are feeling relaxed and able to get the ball down and string some passes together. South Africa rattle the woodwork with a nice strike from the edge of the box moments before Brazil have a goal disallowed for an infringement in the area.

Stunning goal on the half volley from South Africa! The crowd erupts and breaks into song and dance accompanied by horns and drums. Brazil equalize straight away and now we’ve really got a game on our hands.

A lovely one two on the edge of the box creates space for the South African to finish into the roof of the net past the stunned Brazilians.

With only seconds remaining Brazil break away only to blast into the side netting.

Amazing scenes as the final whistle sounds. One would be forgiven for thinking South Africa had just won the competition! The crowd swamps the pitch yet more dancing ensues.

We’re all looking forward to the fan favourites South Africa and the Philippines fighting it out for the Street Child World Cup Plate tomorrow.