Current Affairs Magic of African football comes to Prague's Old Town
Prague's Old Town was the unusual venue for a football tournament on Saturday afternoon, but then it was an unusual tournament - organised by the Football for Development project, the competitors included a youth team from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and Tomas Ulfalusi, a star for the Czech national team.
MYSA team from Niarobi
The rhythms of African drummers and spectators' cheers transformed a public
sports ground in Prague's Old Town on Saturday afternoon into a dusty
street under the hot African sun. The Football for Development project
brought together a team from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, a team of
homeless people living in Prague and even line-up from the Czech Foreign
Ministry. Robin Ujfalusi of the Football for Development project, which
organized the event, says they use football as a tool to inform Czechs
about the problems of some of the poorest countries in the world.
Robin Ujfalusi"We basically try to attract people to come and see an interesting
either sport or cultural event and to give some more information and
opportunity to learn a bit more about another culture and the problems in
Africa. Usually we invite the MYSA team, the organization from Nairobi
which organizes cool things through football in the areas where most
inhabitants live below poverty line."
The Football for Development works with the Czech Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and some other official organizations including the Czech Football
Association. Tomas Ujfalusi, a star defender with the Czech national team
and the event's organizer's cousin, became the face of the project this
year, appearing on posters for the event in African face paint. 
Tomas Ujfalusi with Niarobi playersUjfalusi,
who plays for Italy's Fiorentina, got involved after visiting his cousin
Robin in Nairobi and seeing the conditions under which children there play
the world's favourite game.
"This is the second year I have been involved in this tournament, and I hope it will go on. I will be always happy to contribute is some ways, either with strips or other equipment, which is what these kids need most."
The MYSA team from Nairobi composed of children from some of the poorest areas of the Kenyan capital beat the Football for Development line-up 3:0, despite the presence of Tomas Ujfalusi. After Prague, the team will do a tour of Moravia and play in Rymarov, Bruntal and Olomouc.
