Kids turn gutter into football stadium
Edward Kwame Aklade, Accra (Ghana), 5 January 2010
I always watch Michael Essien play football, he is a very strong player, and he has speed and I want to be like him. This is Emmanuel Atto the captain of the Kotokoraba under-twelve team speaking. He and his friends have turned a gutter into a soccer stadium in the heart of at Cape Coast, in Accra, Ghana.
Curiosity drew me closer just like a cat to the place only to see young enthusiastic boys with age's way below twelve years displaying very good soccer much to the amazement of all and sundry except for the indigenes who are regular patrons of such great tournament. I enquired from the 14-year old team manager Kwabena Ntsiful why they were playing football in the gutter; He explained that they had no playing field.
I went round to survey the neighbouring schools but there were no football park available. These kids have no option than to play their usual tournament at their ‘stadium’ the gutter. From interactions with the town folks, they said this was just a tip of the iceberg because adult players also have special tournaments every weekend that attract several people from all works of life.
These young players had no boots or any kind of footwear to protect their foot from hurting. They had no jerseys and the only form of identification is that players from say team A have their faces painted white just like fetish priests do to distinguish themselves from other players.
Mr. Samuel Bartels a sports presenter and analyst was displeased about the way and manner authorities are selling the land reserved as playing grounds for schoolchildren. He added that one could never tell who the next football star will come from and called on appropriate authorities to come to the aid of this young future stars.
15 January 2010, 16:11
