The Bull Ring

Last Wednesday I arrived back in England after a life-changing four months in Mozambique, with a suitcase full of clothes and a head full of unbelievable memories. Originally I had planned to finish this blog, however I have since decided that I will continue to update on the development of the team and the youth players, and finish posting on my experiences when I was there.

First, the most spectacular of the venues we coached in by a country mile. If I knew more about the history of the area as a Bull Ring I could comment, but it's development and use as a training pitch seems more romantic.

What I do know is that in it's time, the Bull Ring was a hugely famous arena for Portuguese Professional Bull Fighting, and thousands would come from across the world to watch it. More recently though, as it is situated next to the second hand market, it was used as a toilet for the market workers, the 8 foot drop from the edge to the floor coming in particularly handy!

Bearing that in mind, it makes the job which was started by our very own Mr Man (Nelson Veremo) and continued by David 'Hardlife' Sande all the more remarkable. 4 years ago, Mr Man wrote a letter to the municipality to request permission to clean the area and use it as a training facility for the GDM youngsters. Since then, last year's club captain, Hard, has used it to coach the 'Giantkillers' with boys and girls aged from 9-17 learning their trade there.

It's most notable products to date have been Alex, who has this year broke in to the first team and Abu who is currently a key player for the U'17s team and one of those being earmarked for the first team next year.

Alex and Abu now regularly coach the Giantkiller kids, and during our time, took complete control as Hard was completing a coaching course in Zimbabwe.

Each Thursday we visited the Giantkillers, often alternating between taking sessions and assisting Alex as he showed great potential, highlighted by the success of the Giantkillers in the Arsenal Tournaments we ran during our stay. Recently Pingi, the club's Youth Director, has started up an academy for the U'11s and U'14s and many of the Giantkiller's players have been selected in the original squads.

Another of the Bull Ring's unique features is the acoustics. Instrumental in keeping in the atmosphere during the peak years of Bull Fighting, the design now means that everything we say is echoed three or four times.

As the first official GDM training facility, the Bull Ring is held in high regard by all visitors, and will continue to be used as a breeding ground for the future stars of GDM.

Costa Do Sol

During our remaining time here, I am going to try and show a small glimpse of the various places we visit and give coaching sessions. As I have mentioned before, the first team players are in charge of the junior teams and provide training sessions 2 or 3 times a week. We try and visit a different group each day and take a session for the kids.

One of the most unique groups is the one looked after by the club captain, Paiva and which is named Costa Do Sol, after the area. Whenever we arrive here and walk down the dirt track, past the houses where people are often outside cooking dinner or washing their clothes, we seem to gain a tail of up to 10 small kids, boys and girls. They are the same kids each week and some of them we have got to know very well.

First I have to mention Roy. The first time we visited Costa Do Sol, the kids raced for the footballs, and Roy didn't get one. The tears started to flow. At the time I didn't understand Portuguese well enough to understand why he was crying, but I was told it was because he didn't have a ball. We told him to go and play with the other kids, but he didn't want to. From then on, every time someone took a ball from him, he cried.

Since then, Roy has got a bit more brave, and if anything, a bit too brave. He has now turned into a bit of a ringleader and takes some calming down. One of my favourite things to do with Roy is ask him for the ball which he is hiding under his t-shirt...obviously the ball in question is just his belly, but it gets a laugh from him and all of the kids.

Another regular is Castellano, who has the meanest stare in Mozambique, yet is not as mean as he looks. His trademarks are his shorts that are always falling down, and dusting off our clothes when we get dirty from running around their dirt pitch.

Other favourites are Francisco, Milton and Nando, the latter two in particular who could easily be mistaken for brothers. Milton in particular loves to learn English and we often sit writing our names in the dirt with the kids. One week we were also treated to a special guest, 18 month old Tom Tom who we quickly nicknamed 'Sat-Nav'.

Nando, Milton, Francisco and Roy

Me, Castellano and Sat-Nav

There is also a large number of girls who come to these sessions and one of the most memorable sessions of our time here was the Girls vs Boys match. In goal for the girls was Adam and I was playing as a free role midfielder/ very biased referee! Whenever the boys scored a goal, they had to play in a crab position until the girls scored, which went down very well, more so for the girls.

After a 3-3 draw, the game had to be settled on penalties and the girls came through comfortable winners, no surprise given that Adam, the girl's goalkeeper was in goal for both team's penalties.


As our last days go by we are realising how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to Manica and especially the kids that we have seen regularly for the past 16 weeks. There is no doubt that the kids at Costa Do Sol are among those that we will miss the most...

Uselessly Useful

This post draws inspiration from a post on the GDM official website http://www.fcmanica.com/, written by a man who can be an inspiration to us all. Schalk Van Heerden is the man who makes things happen, largely involved in us coming here in the first place, and involved in everything that takes place at the club. Due to his own work commitments with Youthzones, he cannot be here in Mozambique as much as he might like, but he is involved in everything nonetheless, particularly the recent task to persudae FIFA to place one of their Football For Hope centres right here in Manica.

Schalk's post on the FC Manica website discusses how we can help, and how most of the time it is not giving gifts or money that draws the biggest smiles. For Adam and I in particular, with this being our first visit here and it being such a short one, we are not going to rid Mozambique of the poverty it suffers, and we are not going to be able to completely change the lives of those we meet, but we can make a difference and we can leave a lasting impression. Since the day we found out we would be coming to Mozambique, we knew that our main focus would be the kids here, and that is how it has stayed. During the first month, we struggled somewhat with the coaching, and would be happy to let the coaches get on with what they had planned, which more often than not would be matches for an hour. However it was enough for the kids that we were there, and there would be times when there would be more kids crowding around the 'mzungus' than there were watching or playing in the game. The biggest smiles would come when we would keep the ball away from one determined toddler, or nutmeg one of the players, or when one of the kids would say 'good afternoon', or 'how are you' in English. Another favourite is also the dance off, of which I have competed in a fair few recently!

As Schalk mentions in his post, the kids are often so amazed by the alien figures of the two new white boys in town that they don't have to say anything at all. They will often sit there, holiding your hand, stroking the hairs on your arms, or somewhat painfully, and to their amusement much more than ours, pulling the hairs out of our legs! Often these kids are those that don't take part in the football training, and it is a good feeling to know that they are also comforted by our presence.

One of the only things that I have disliked since being here is the 'This Is Africa' attitude to timekeeping. I am all for a lazy day and a relaxed stroll every now and then, but when it concerns the kids, I think there is a standard to be set. Whether it be coaching sessions, matches, or tournaments, the one group of people who you can rely on not being late is the kids. If by the time we leave, we can say the same about the coaches (the players, although they wouldn't dare be late for their own training) we would be very happy. It is also important to note that this is not true for everyone as there have been some stand out contributions since we've been here and they will have their own post at a later date! But the training provided for the kids is the highlight of their days, as they have very little else.

One occasion that really highlighted this was the first session of the coaching course we are providing for the players, when Panache, who I'm sure you know by now, ran down the hill at 10 past 4. We had finished the session at 4 and when I asked him what time he had finished school, he told me 4 o clock. He had obviously run home from school, and got to the ground as fast as he could to get his fix of football, or did he just want to be with his friends and with the two new white guys in town? Another similar case is that of local superstar Nello, who on Mondays finishes school at 4 as well, but still gets comes to the pitch for 10 or 15 minutes of football. He is so popular in fact with the other kids that at our most recent session, when he arrived I offered to auction him off to the highest bidder of the 3 teams...he went for 10 metacais, or 20p, and I was told that I would be paid on Friday!!!

We are now coming towards the end of our trip, and have just over 3 weeks left in Manica. The time has flown and it is sad to think that with some of the groups of kids we only have 3 or 4 sessions left! However, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be back in the near future, and if the kids who I will never forget, remember me, I will feel like we have helped.

Learning the Lingo

The first and most challenging obstacle we came across when we arrived here a little under 3 months ago was the language barrier. With the Zimbabwean border just a 15 minute (and 30p) bus ride down the road, there are plenty of people who speak English here, but as our main priority is the kids, we were a bit taken back by the challenge that we would be coming up against.

For the first month that we were here I would say that it affected my experience. Our visits to the several junior teams would often consist of us being introduced, and then watching the kids train or play a match with the one ball which their team had to play with, and for the kids it was exciting enough just to have us there. Really though we knew that we could offer more and wanted to give the kids some exciting training sessions which their respective coaches could use when we head back to England.

Gradually as time has gone on, we have tried to pick up as much Portuguese as we can, and one of the ways in which we learn is from the first team coach and the players. Before each training session the coach will gather the players together and talk to us about previous games, upcoming training sessions, and the responsibilities that playing for this club holds. In the beginning Mussa and Lloyd would translate the important parts of the coach's speech, but now we are working things out for ourselves.

As our total stay here (this time around) is just 4 months, noone is expecting us to be able to hold an in-depth conversation about Mozambican politics or teach History in Portuguese, but to be able to explain a drill to the kids is a good target to aim for. Therefore, the phrases used by the players and the coach every day in training help us to get an idea, whilst the phrases that we use give them a chance to pick up some English.

Another way in which we try to pick up the language is back at the club where we stay with some of the players. Whether we are eating lunch or dinner, playing chess, or just chilling out it is always an opportunity for us to listen and unsurprisingly, the conversations more often than not revolve around football.

The club's staff are also very useful with Nelson a.k.a Mr Man and Chandulaia a.k.a John, the English teachers, Short Chikwandingwa, all round funny guy, Waru Waru the computer teacher, and boy genius Zambito, one of our closest friends here, all providing ongoing lessons free of charge.Finally, the most important group of people here, and probably the best learning tool we have for getting to grips with the language, and that is the kids. First and foremost, you know that the kids are not going to laugh at you if you get something wrong, not that the other players do, but it is less imtimidating with the kids. Most importantly though, the looks on their faces when you explain something (or try to) in their own language, are priceless and make every bit of anxiety go away.

A few of the characters in particular have provided some very fruitful lessons, namely Panache, the 7 year old leader of the GDM pack who loves to tell you that he is 20, Toni and Nani, the pair that are getting a bit too brave for our liking and who love to push the boundaries in our sessions, and the Costa Do Sol boys, who you will be hearing and seeing more of in the very near future. Até á proxima vez, Boa Noite!

Laureus- Sport For Good

As mentioned in my very first post, this experience was made possible not only by Arsenal, but as a partnership with the Sport for Good Foundation, Laureus. The Sport for Good Foundation forms one part of a three pronged attack striving to achieve a unique goal, the other two being the World Sports Academy and the World Sports Awards. The goal is to harness the power of sport to promote social change, and here they have a project which truly personifies that objective. In particular, Will Stone of Laureus, who was a member of the first ever group of Arsenal Gap Year students has worked closely with GDM to make our trip happen. Four years ago, he and Alec Norton visited GDM with little idea of what they were getting themselves into. The answer is a project that will keep you coming back for the rest of your life. Since their first visit in 2006, both Will and Alec have returned to see the fruits of their (and the rest of the club's) hard work. From giving us all the information and advice we needed prior to our trip, to providing the club with equipment such as balls, bibs and cones, to the funding they provide each year to keep the club moving forward, Laureus is an inspiration and this is a huge Thank You from us, and everyone here at GDM.

To find out more about Laureus, visit http://www.laureus.com/, and in particular their recent article regarding our work.

Pre-Season 'Friendlies'

After what seems like an age I am finally back with a new post. I apologise for the wait but we have been without the wonders of the internet for the last week or so, and I will try to make up for it by putting up a couple of new posts this week...

As pre-season officially came to an end on Saturday with Miguel Junior having completed his first two months as head coach, I thought it would be a good time to report on the progress of the team and our prospects for the coming season...but before I go any further I must make it clear that these games simply cannot be classed as friendlies. Some of the tackling on show would not look out of place in the Dutch World Cup Final performance and if anything makes the Karl Henrys and Nigel De Jongs of this world look like fairys. The first evidence of this came in one of our first training sessions, an 11v11 match which saw my midfield partner Edgar (Peter Crouch) two-footed by Ruben and consequently injured for the next two months. All joking aside it is one of the things we will be trying to stamp out during our time here as it won't be long before someone is seriously injured.

Our first so called friendly came against a local team containing the club's very own computer teacher Waru Waru. In the pre-game meeting Miguel said he wanted to be 10-0 up by half time, so we weren't expecting too much from the opposition, although when I came on at half time for Alex at 3-0 we were more than comfortable.

The opposition tired in the second half and the game finished 13-0, with Mabass scoring 7, Felix 3, and Moussa, Ruben and Simao helping themselves to one each.

Sunday 6th Feb: Têxtil do Púnguè vs Grupo Desportivo De Manica

Our first real test came against Têxtil do Púngué Beira. We knew that the journey would be a long one having done the reverse journey on the way back from the airport, but that did nothing to prepare us for the journey we were about to experience. To say the bus was cramped would be an understatement, and unfortunately I cannot provide you any pictures due to the fact that I could not move my arms. After being told on the previous night that we had to be up at 5am we assumed that it would be an early afternoon kick off. Instead when we arrived after a 5 hour drive we were treated to a nice lunch in the oppositions local bar, and were given time to enjoy the surroundings.

When we arrived at the ground, having got used to the dirt pitch at our modest ground in Manica, our first surprise was to see grass. Our second was to see the huge stand and hundreds of paying spectators already in their seats!

As we took our places on the bench, the crowd started to liven up, particularly the fan with the megaphone who was constantly shouting something about 'Mzungus', Mzungu literally meaning a person of foreign descent, but more commonly used as a name for a white person.

Our opposition were from the top league in Mozambique (we are in the one below), and they started to enforce themselves early on and took the lead in the first half from a corner. We did have chances after some good work from Simaozinho on the left and Ruben on the right but we went in at half time 1-0 down.

The second half started in similar fashion and we quickly went 2-0 down. After about 10 minutes of the second half and Mariano coming on for Ruben on the right, Miguel told me to warm up, which raised probably the biggest cheer of the game so far. I was introduced with about half an hour to go, again replacing Alex in centre midfield, but unfortunately I was unable to prevent defeat for the team and the game finished 2-0.

After the game we were treated to drinks and sandwiches from the opposition and it was nice to see the crowd come down and mix with the players before we set off on the long journey home.

Saturday 12th Feb: Grupo Desportivo De Manica vs Vilankulo FC

The following week, and Adam's birthday, provided our second serious fixture. Played at the ground of Textáfrica do Chimoio, the journey was a much more manageable 45 minutes.

Being a neutral venue, the crowd were cheering for any tackle, pass, shot or piece of skill, no matter what team provided it, and they were just as interested in the Mzungus as the previous game's supporters.

Unfortunately, despite the crowds chants of 'get the whites on', Adam and I were both left on the bench for the 90 minutes. To some extent we felt pretty lucky as our two first choice goalkeepers, Ribeiro and Gabriel were taken off after coming off worse in collisions with the opposition's strikers, both leading to the goals which subjected us to a 2-0 defeat. Centre back Lloyd ended up in goal and somehow got away with not conceding a penalty after hauling down the striker as he looked certain to make it three!

Tuesday 22nd Feb: Grupo Desportivo De Manica vs Clube Ferroviário de Nampula

Our next game was again played at the home ground of Textáfrica and was to provide Adam with his first minutes for the club. After youngster Chadreque and veteran Chibanga had both had their chances at right back, Adam's solid performances in training finally got him a start. Despite a few pre-match nerves and a complete lack of rhythm in the warm-ups which served to amuse the whole bench for a good 20 minutes, he performed very well indeed. One moment of brilliance came when he appeared to have judged the flight of the Nampula goalkeeper's kick perfectly, only for the header to knock him completely off his feet and into a cartoon-esque backwards roll!

Nampula, along with Vilankulo FC, also play in the top league of Mozambican football, and therefore it was no disgrace to again come away on the end of a defeat, this time by just one goal to nil, and with a much improved performance from the team. In particular, strikers Mabass and Felix impressed along with the ever consistent Simaozinho.

Sunday 27th Feb: Grupo Desportivo De Manica vs Estrela Beira

Our first home game. On the day before the game, both the players and the staff of GDM spent hours cutting the grass as until then it was unacceptable for a somewhat competitive football match. By the end of the day it looked a lot better and it seemed as if playing the ball along the floor would actually be feasible, however there is still plenty of work to be done before the start of the season.

As Estrela had come the unenviable 5 hours drive from Beira, when they arrived at our club they were treated to a chicken and spaghetti lunch, and a room for them to relax before the game. Aware that the opposition were here, Adam and I were relaxing in our room when we heard a cry of 'Mr Drew- how do you like them apples' in a strong Portuguese accent. Straight away I knew that the voice was of 'Van Donkey', a player who had been on trial at the club when we first arrived but was not deemed good enough to play here. It was great to see him and also great to hear that he has not forgotten the basics of the English language that we taught him!

For the match Miguel had made a few changes, with Eddy and Mussa starting ahead of Ruben and Alex, and Adam again keeping his place at right back. Immediately the difference between this opposition and the top league opposition that we had been used to was noticable, and we were much more in control of the game than in other games. Again, the loudest cheer of the game came when Adam pulled off a very English sliding tackle, English meaning not two footed with all 24 studs staring down the opponents face.

Despite being in control, chances were wasted and the ruthless home crowd wanted to see some changes and did not mince their words. They were given their wish when Mussa and Eddy were replaced either side of half time by Alex and Ruben. The changes had an immediate impact as Felix turned 3 defenders outside the box to win a free-kick. With Ruben and Paiva also close by, Mabass stepped up to send the ball flying into the top corner much to the relief of Miguel.

As the game came to a close, youngsters Mariano and Chadreque were introduced for Adam and Paiva, and I came on for the last 15 minutes in place of Esquerdinha. The win was a relief for everyone and spirits were high in the camp after the game.

This brings to an end the summary of pre-season and as I am writing, we prepare for a tournament tomorrow in Chimoio where we will face Textáfrica, after Vumba take on Shoprite. As always I hope you enjoyed the update and there will be more to follow as we get closer to the start of the season...

The G-D-M-irates Cup

This weekend was potentially one of the most important in the history of GDM and it's players, members and fans. We were fortunate enough to be visited by representatives of 'streetfootballworld' and FIFA, in relation to their Football for Hope campaign. The aim of the project, spawn from the World Cup in South Africa 2010, is to achieve positive social change through football by building 20 Football for Hope Centres for public health, education and football across Africa. I won't go into too much detail about the centre, if we are lucky enough to be chosen, I will write a piece on what it can and hopefully will do for everyone here...until then let's just keep our fingers crossed!

So instead of the usual detailed reports on the tournaments that we run here in Manica, this post will focus more on the way in which the players, staff and everyone else involved here, at what is so much more than just a football club, pulled together for such a momentous occasion.

Earlier in the week Adam and I, along with the head of youth football, 26 year old Felipe Castigo (Pingi as he is better known), sat down with the first team squad to devise their roles for the weekend, and split the team in to three groups. One led by Adam and I, and assisted by Mussa, to set up the pitches and oversee the tournament as a whole, one group of referees, and one group organising the food for each kid who took part. Each group was assigned a captain who would delegate the responsibilities accordingly.

The group of referees was led my Mabass, the first team striker and vice-captain, and contained Felex, Simaozinho, Ribeiro (Jet Li) and recent product of the youth team Morane. Kitted out in various Arsenal kits, the refs were instrumental in keeping the tournament running smoothly and making sure the games were played in good spirits.

The group which probably had the toughest task was the group in charge of the food, as it meant they could not stay at the ground and watch the action unfold. Led by first team GK and resident chef when Mama is away- Gabriel, the group of Xadreque, Mariano, Paiva, Manuel, Esquerdinha and Maninho provided each player who took part with bread, bananas, biscuits, and drinks, something that to us in the UK would seem trivial but here is a very big deal.

Other notable mentions must go to the coaches, as not only throughout the weekend's games, but during the weeks leading up to our tournaments the work and commitment they put it is great to see.

• GDM's coaches, Lloyd 'The Complainer', always asking for his next fixture, checking the ages of his opponents players, despite having an unconventional 6ft tall U'11 goalkeeper, and Ruben leading the Ladies team in his first tournament in charge.
• Academicas' Chibanga. Looking like he would qualify to play for the U'11s, Chibanga's efforts leading up to the tournaments are arguably setting the standard for the other coaches.
• Giantkillers' quiet but confident pairing of Abu and Alex, their success in the tournaments so far put them as the team to beat going into the big weekend of football.
• Murroco's eccentric pairing of Paulinho and Teshera, who so far have been unlucky not to have done better.
• Feroviario's Geraldo and Chico Chinhimo, another recent product of the youth team, who were making their debut atthe big event.
• Chico's Costa Do Sol, who train on a pitch far less luxurious than the hotel after which they are named, one of our favourite teams to coach, also entering their first tournament.
• Finally Vivaldo whose team were aptly named...Vivaldo, a late admission in Sundays U'14s tournament.
• 2 teams were also entered into Sundays tournament from the local orphanage.

Special mentions must also go out to the club's directors for all the effort they put in, from organising money for the food, Short Chikwandingwa organising transport for the various teams to get to the ground, and Junior Director and boy genius Zambo 'El Magnifique' Felipe Zambo for taking some great actions shots of the day (the picture below is not Zambo, it is Panache, a regular at every first team training session and a member of GDM's huge squad).

Now...it wouldn't be fair for all this effort to go in, and for you not to find out about the football, so...a brief recap of the events...

In the ladies tournament, after a few 0-0 draws left us thinking we would never see a goal, GDM's Edna and Sonia stepped up to the plate, both scoring doubles in consecutive victories. Being the only team not to lose to GDM, Giantkillers took them on in the final, but Melhor Jogador Del Campeonado (MJDC), Edna, again drove her team to a comfortable victory.

The U'11s tournament was won by Academicas, and a well deserved first victory for Chibanga, whose team were uncompromising in winning every game. MJDC Paulo was the leading goalscorer, although we were treated to an array of screamers, in particular from Giantkillers' Joshua whose stunning volley secure them 3rd place in the 3rd vs 4th playoff against Feroviario.

Giantkillers claimed their 3rd title in the U'14s with a win on penalties over surprise package Feroviario, who had comfortably brushed aside some of the favourites in the group stages, Miguel picking up the MJDC. Vivaldo claimed a last gasp victory over Academicas to take 3rd place.

In the U'17s, Chibanga took his tally to two for the weekend and in doing so, won the right to coach the club's representative U'14s team who will play in the national league. They scored a last minute goal in the final to defeat GDM, with Giantkillers beating Murroco to 3rd place.

MJDC was won by, you guessed it...or did you...Nello Jeque, at just 10 years old, not only was he the youngest player in the tournament, but he had also taken part in all 3 age groups over the weekend. I hope you aren't getting sick of hearing his name as it could be one you are hearing a lot about in the future!

I hope this goes some way to showing how big a deal this occasion was for everyone, and although at first it seemed like a priority to impress our visitors, the most important thing here is the people who will be here for years to come, whether we get the centre or not, and luckily I think they enjoyed it as much as we did!