Beyond Ourselves: A Day of Football At The National Stadium

Football is so much more than a game here. These last few weeks Zambia has been hosting the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Under 20’s – and on Sunday Zambia won the final against Senegal! Although it wasn’t the most exciting of games, two sloppy goals in the first half for Zambia sealed the game early on, it did contain a yellow card for a Senegalese practicing witchcraft and throwing a ‘charm’ into the Zambian goal to try to turn around the game around. Not something you see in most matches around the world! https://zambiareports.com/2017/03/12/juju-lovers-senegal-exorcised-heroes-stadium-zambia-win-20-afcon-title/

The same Ndola stadium that hosted international games for the AFCON was also the stage for our Grade 7’s last month when Beyond Ourselves organised a 7-a-side football tournament for 12 local Community Schools. Schools from across the Copperbelt with the same heart for orphans and vulnerable children as ours.

We partnered with Mechanics for Africa, a Mechanics college that trains up underpriviledged young people in Zambia, giving them a quality education and skills for life, who closed their classes for the day so that their 70 students could help facilitate the event. We were also assisted by visitors from the UK who fundraised for the stadium hire and equipment needed to run the event.

Aside from getting a chance to play football in an international stadium, the Grade 7’s were also excited to tour the stadium (especially the chance to ride in an elevator) and receive medals and an encouraging word from a former Zambian International player who was our guest of honour for the day.

All in all, it was a great success.

Here are a few photos from our day!