Collin Matiza
THE Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association have thrown their weight behind Team Zimbabwe for this year’s Homeless World Cup, with their leader Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga yesterday pledging $500 towards the team’s trip to Scotland next month.

The Homeless World Cup is an annual football tournament organized by the Homeless World Cup organisation, a social organisation which advocates the end of homelessness through the sport of association — football (or soccer).

The organisation puts together an annual football tournament where teams of homeless people from each country compete.

The tournament will take place in the heart of Glasgow, on George Square, which for the duration of the seven-day event from July 10 to 16 will be “the most inspiring place on the planet”.

In total, 64 teams, representing 52 countries, including Zimbabwe, will come together to celebrate and highlight the year-round life-changing work of the Homeless World Cup National Partner network.

Five hundred and twelve players will arrive in Glasgow, each with their own story to tell, their own point on a journey to create a better life for themselves.

And yesterday, the founding father of the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association, Nyatanga, said they will help in raising financial and material support for Team Zimbabwe during their preparations for this year’s Homeless World Cup.

“I’ve been following the Zimbabwe team for the Homeless World Cup for the past couple of years and I was particularly impressed by them when they came 15th overall out of more than 45 countries that took part in last year’s tournament in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

“What touched me most is that, here is a team for the underprivileged people which travels all the way to the Netherlands to raise our country’s flag high despite the economic challenges that our nation is currently facing and, against all odds, they managed to finish 15th overall, which I think is a phenomenal achievement.

“And it is against this background that I would like to give them (Team Zimbabwe for the 2016 Homeless World Cup) a small donation of $500 towards their trip to Scotland, where I have every hope that they will once again do us proud at this year’s tournament.

“I know that this (the $500 donation) is small as I’m told they need about $20 000 for their trip to Scotland, but I think it will go a long way in getting other people to come in and help the team in this worthy cause. I’m also going to see that the team gets some mineral water from my company, ZLG, during their preparations for this year’s Homeless World Cup tournament,” said Nyatanga, who also urged other corporates and the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to come on board and help Team Zimbabwe to raise the airfares for their trip to Scotland.

“Although this team is made up of the underprivileged athletes, they are going to Scotland to represent Zimbabwe and they need everyone’s support as they will be our ambassadors there in the UK during this tournament, where I’m told, they will be meeting and interacting with other homeless people who will have their own story or stories to tell,” Nyatanga added.

At this year’s Homeless World Cup, Zimbabwe, whose current ranking is 29th in this global tournament, have been drawn to play in the tough Group F with Belgium, who are ranked 36th, South Korea (42), Hungary (20), Namibia (12) and Portugal (3).

This year’s Homeless World Cup draw was held on May 23 at the iconic Glasgow City Hall. The draw was hosted by sports reporter Eilidh Barbour of BBC Scotland and BT Sport. Scotland national team managers Anna Signeul and Gordon Strachan were on hand to draw teams, alongside former Team Scotland Homeless World Cup players.

George Square, at the centre of Glasgow, will be converted into an outdoor street football venue for the event with three purpose built pitches with seating.

Up to 100 000 of spectators are expected to attend the tournament, which will start on July 10 and run until July 16.

The square has been the focal point for Glasgow’s Street Football finals since 2012.

The Street Football programme provides diversionary activities for young people aged between 12 and 18 years, with an average 1 200 players taking part in weekly sessions across the city. The 2016 Homeless World Cup is the 14th edition of the tournament. The first took place in Graz, Austria in 2003. The tournament was last hosted in Scotland in 2005, in Edinburgh. Last year’s Homeless World Cup was in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Homeless World Cup, co-founded by Mel Young, who also co-founded The Big Issue magazine in Scotland, has now supported more than one million people across the globe, engaging 100 000 people annually.