James Ssekandi
27 June 2009
Kampala — Life on the silver screen is set to become a reality for Ugandan soccer lovers and more so, supporters of Brazil.
Some of the greatest football stars ever to don the famous gold shirt of Brazil will soon set foot in the Pearl of Africa, a country that was once one of the top playing nations on the continent and now trying to get its foot back on the pedestal.
The 1994 World Cup was a great spectacle, and one of the revelations of that-all conquering side. Paulo Sergio is going to lead his teammates on a mission not only to play football but also use the world's most famous sport to change lives. Brazil is one of the most supported foreign national teams because of its beautiful, expansive style of football associated with the Samba Boys. The side plays football in an entertaining manner with flicks, step-overs and nutmegs here and there from almost every squad's man.
Come July 22-28, the Samba Boys will visit Uganda for a charity and evangelical tour that is dubbed Game of Hope after confirmation from the Brazilian consul, Hon Paul Mugambwa, in coordination with Sports Friends International-Uganda (SFIU), a not-for-profit charity organization.
For some reason, the visit of the Alem Brasil team as its known, will provide a great opportunity for both ex- internationals and current footballers together with fans to interact with the players whose careers they have followed on television and other media and whom they have admired for so long.
Alem Group consists of some prominent born-again Christian players like Kaka, who recently changed clubs from AC Milan to Real Madrid, Lucio, the current skipper of Brazil, Ze Roberto and Emerson.
These will be joined by the 1994 World Cup winners like Sergio, Bebeto, Giovanni, Ze Carlo, Silva, Viola, Richardo Rocha, Rai, Muller, Jorginho, Mauro Silva, and Mazinho.
However, other top players from Brazil will not travel with the team because of their religious convictions. "We could not cater for the likes of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho because they don't follow the ALEM values," said Richard Ssekyeru, the director of SFIU, during a press conference at Sheraton Hotel on Monday.
Formed in 1992 , every year, the group embarks on similar tours to impart skills and values. Their last tours were dubbed 'Tour of Hope' in Eastern Asia countries of Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The Alem Group will make its maiden tour in Africa starting with East African countries.
They visit Burundi first before coming to Uganda and finalise the tour in Kenya.
The theme: Games of Hope for the Alem group, is broadly based on a project called Ubabalo e Africa (hope for Africa). Its aim is to galvanise all corporate sectors and the football fraternity into a renewed sense of nationalism, love for the game and also create behavioural change among Ugandan footballers.
Football clinics
While here, they will hold football clinics and play two exhibition matches against select sides. The first is against Uganda's current national soccer team, while the second pits the older members of the Brazilian squad (majority coming from the 1994 side) against former Cranes players at Nakivubo on July 27.
Charity
Matches as already noted, will help in raising funds for charity.
However, all the sides that will play against the veterans shouldn't take them lightly to avoid a humiliation.
Wherever the Brazilian veteran's team has travelled, it has registered wins with huge margins against local/national teams. Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) technical director Asuman Lubowa, said they would line up both local and foreign-based Cranes players to give the Brazilians a formidable challenge during the tour. "It's a great opening for the local players to draw inspiration from these legends of the game," said Lubowa.
Despite their legendary status in football, which is the fastest growing industry in the world, the Alem Group believes that the legacy a man leaves behind and the people he has impacted on positively, is what best define success. Indeed, Uganda has been blessed with some talented footballers over the years, but some of the best like Phillip Omondi, Fred Kateregga, Majid Musisi and Paul Hasule, have died poor and miserable because they lacked the necessary life skills to support themselves after their illustrious careers.
The group's tour is aimed at restoring hope to children in prison, promote morality and virtue through football, and at a diplomatic level, improving the relations between Uganda and Brazil, two coffee producing powerhouses.
The visitors will meet President Museveni and promote the image of Brazil as 2014 World Cup hosts.
With all set for the arrival of the men from the 'birthplace of the beautiful game', soccer authorities and players, it is hoped will not only crave for photo opportunities and autographs but also use the opportunity to create linkages with the South Americans so as to help the game develop here.
Most of these players throughout their playing careers established so many contacts with soccer clubs, academies, their counterparts and other people who care about the game. If the concerned parties do nothing in regards to pulling these Brazilians closer to their nest, then this will be another opportunity gone by the wind.
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