The players were determined to give their best result, but during the first matches the team had some challenges as most of our players did not have proper shoes to use and played bare foot. This issue was addressed by the group coordinator and he first borrowed some shoes from other teams and after some time the team received better uniforms to use from a Dutch football team. This really motivated the players and since then the performance of the team has been very good. The young players are devoted to every game and they perceive each game as an opportunity to interact with the community, such as with other players from the different ghetto villages and with the young crowd that watches.
The team sprit has kept the group moving and reflects the unity the Maji Mazuri Youth Group has. At present, the team has been doing very well in the community league and expects to move up in the league with the start of the next season. We also believe this is an excellent opportunity for the youth to discover their talent and expose it to the world.
The idea of making a football team was to keep our youths fully engaged, to keep them from bad activities that could leave them either killed or jailed. Since we started the team many youth have been very busy either training or playing football. With healthy bodies and minds they set a good example for other youths and their success is recognized by the whole community.
