Western Cape minister for social development Patricia de Lille has stepped in to assist the South African Homeless Street Soccer team in their efforts to compete in the annual Homeless Soccer World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. The tournament kicks off on Sunday.
According to Lance Greyling, a member of Parliament for the Independent Democrats, the party is now contacting as many people as possible and asking them to donate money to the team.
“We’re determined to try to work this out,” he said.
“We don’t want to disappoint the players.”
Despite canvassing local government and the private sector, South African Homeless Street Soccer (SAHSS) is still missing the necessary funds to send the team to Brazil. Clifford Martinus, SAHSS director, said on Thursday they needed about R200 000 to cover plane tickets and other costs.
“We have a duty to do this,” said Greyling, “especially considering that we were hosts of this year’s World Cup.”
The team — ranked 17th in the world — is drawn from homeless street soccer players in the Western Cape. The team have received their kit, but no other assistance has been forthcoming.
“We need to go forward in a different matter to prevent this situation from happening again, but first of all our priority is to get them to Brazil,” said Greyling.
Previous sponsors raise concerns
Concerns were raised in July by Michael Mastrocinque, the director of From US With Love (FUWL), a United States-based non-profit organisation which had previously sponsored the team.
“The funding was so insufficient last year that the team had to be represented in Milan, Italy, wearing red and black tracksuits rather than yellow and green, the team’s colours,” he wrote in an email also sent to e.tv sports editor Robin Adams.
‘We cannot save everyone’
“Since our relationship [with SAHSS began], there has never been consistent funding for the league and getting to the Homeless World Cup has always come down to the wire with scratching for funding to get there.”
FUWL recently completed a documentary called Streetball about the 2008/2009 South African Homeless World Cup teams. The documentary raised concerns about the follow-through of the SAHSS in continuing to train and support players on their return from the international tournament.
“Obviously, there are a few who fell through and are back on the street,” said Martinus. “But there are various players that are currently off the street, assisting us or other organisations coaching soccer and training kids. Unfortunately, we cannot save everyone.”
Linzi Thomas, the founder of MylifE, a foundation that works with at-risk street youth and children, has been involved with SAHSS for four years. Three young men they are assisting are on the South African Homeless Team this year.
“Last year the boys came back all excited, because there [at the Homeless World Cup] they are treated like real soccer stars, but on return they fall straight into the same environment,” said Thomas.
Asked if the alleged lack of follow-through might be due to lack of funds, Thomas replied: “There needs to be a structure. Nobody’s going to fund it if there is no proper structure.”
The ID’s Greyling said that drawing from a national pool of street soccer players may help make homeless soccer a national priority.
“At the end of the day this affects the youth,” said Thomas. “They deserve to go and should be treated like Bafana Bafana and our cricket team.”