Last time we met some African football players from an amateur football team, Africa United here in Beijing. They are having friendship matches with European and American counterparts for Africa Day celebrations.
What you hear is the coach of Africa United, Projestus Kagashani, from Tanzania who is coaching his players while competing with the European team.
Kagashani had been a student majoring in computer engineering before he pursued his studies in China in 1994. Out of his love for football, he came up with the idea of founding a football team comprised of Africans living in China. That is the only African team in Beijing, Africa United.
"I created the team by myself when I came here because we Africans here like football so we wanted to find something which would unite all of us. The football is our hobby so we wanted it to bring us together every weekend. So I called on a few guys and most of them are students here. Then we founded the team."
Kagashani tells me his craze for football originated from his father who used to be a professional football player in Tanzania. And that has led to him to become a coach later on.
"When I was young, my father often took me to watch football matches. He is fairly a good player at a big football club. As a kid, I was so interested in football and I saw how the coach was coaching the players. And gradually I had an idea of being a coach when I grew up."
Before his arrival in China, Kagashani had coached a small football team in Tanzania. Now he has 28 players and they train twice a week at Beijing Language and Culture University, which has the most international students of all universities in China.
The players have good skills. They know how to do with the football in the game and they are improving rapidly... Of course, I am not coaching alone. I have some guys who help me to do it together..."
"Hi, you are from Africa?"
"Yes, from Cameroon."
"Why do you come here?"
"I am an English teacher. I have been teaching here for three years. Well I came here because I want to try a new experience."
What you hear is a Cameroonian teacher Denis Tamonkia who teaches English at a Korean International School in Beijing. When I was watching the football match, I noticed he was beside me, videotaping the game.
I am trying to shoot some pictures for the website and for the documentary that I am doing bridgeafrik.com, that is bridgeafrik.com. That is a major website for Africans."
"How do you feel about today's football match?"
"It’s really good. It's like the one opportunity we have here in China to actually meet our brothers and sisters from Africa. I think Africa Day is quite symbolic itself because in Africa it is a big day. Here in Asia, although we are far from Africa, we have to do our best to make people here in China feel that we are doing something back in Africa. I think the significance of this day is very important to Africa and the world at large. We look forward to a big dream that Africa is coming together and united, no matter how long it will take. Maybe we are going to have a new USA, the United States of Africa."
"Are you a football fan?"
"Sure. I play football at my school every Wednesday."
"Did you try today?"
"It was a big pity. I didn’t know before there would be such an exciting game today. Actually I am a good football player. I would have loved to be part of the team."
"What is the charm and interest of football as far as you are concerned?"
"I think that is the most popular sport in the whole world. Right now it is even more exciting because we are looking forward to having the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."
"Exactly!"
"So it is a big event for us!"
Denis tells me he used to teach English before he arrived in China three years ago. He came here just to try some new experiences.
"I wanted to have real experience where I could teach English to people who don't understand me at all. In Cameroon I was teaching English to French-speaking Cameroonians. Some of them can speak fairly good English so I came here to find way to communicate with those who know few English."
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