The World Cup isn’t until next year, but Zambia, Comoros, Madagascar and Cape Verde will compete this weekend in north-west Melbourne.
They aren’t official national soccer teams, and their players don’t have direct ties to the flags they play under. But these four sides will play in the finals of the African Nations Cup in Keilor Downs.
Cape Verde captain Yosief Kassa, Madagascar captain Jonny Tewoderos and Comoros captain Okilo Dimo will play in the African Nations Cup finals this weekend.Credit: Eddie Jim
They represent the kaleidoscope of cultures in Victoria’s African diaspora who will gather at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday and Sunday for an increasingly popular community celebration.
“It also gives us the exposure that I feel like we desperately need,” says Cape Verde captain Yosief Kassa, who has Ethiopian roots.
“We have a lot of talent that isn’t shown or goes unrecognised. Here, you get to showcase yourself and display your ability in front of a crowd, and you never know who is watching.”
Tom Yabio started this Victorian tournament in 2018 after moving to Melbourne from Adelaide, where South Australia’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been a long-running success credited with helping the state punch above its weight in producing African-Australian talent.
Socceroos such as Kusini Yengi and the Toure brothers played in the SA competition before launching their professional careers. Wunderkind Nestory Irankunda has been involved too.
There wasn’t a similar event in Melbourne, and Yabio – who also founded youth charity Football Empowerment – thought the African community in Victoria was missing out.
“It’s just about coming together as a community and enjoying the beautiful game,” he says.
Madagascar captain Jonny Tewoderos (centre) only got his VCE results this week.Credit: Eddie Jim
During the past two weekends, the likes of Kenya, Eritrea, Guinea, Sudan, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Cameroon have played matches in Keilor Park.
While many players have refugee backgrounds and play for their country of origin, others decide to team up with friends under a different African nation’s flag, particularly if the national team with which they have family ties is already full.
For instance, the Comoros team is largely made up of South Sudanese players who grew up in Melbourne’s west together.
“It’s just to keep playing together as mates, to keep it fun and keep everyone close,” says captain Okilo Dimo.
Comoros will play Zambia in the first semi-final on Saturday at 2pm.
Forward Gonekai, the team manager and goalkeeper for Zambia, says his troops had a tougher assignment than most: they travel from Albury-Wodonga to play.
Gonekai was born in Zimbabwe and came to Australia as a student, but his team features refugees from Congo and Burundi too.
“We’ve just been looking for a way of fostering community participation for people from migrant backgrounds,” he says.
“Especially for the new arrivals, it helps them settle in and establish social connections. The tournament is a motivation thing – it gives people something to look forward to.”
Forward Gonekai (far left) is the manager and goalkeeper for team Zambia, which hails from Albury-Wodonga and will play in the finals of the African Nations Cup.
Cape Verde will play Madagascar in the second semi-final on Saturday at 4pm.
Jonny Tewoderos, Madagascar’s 18-year-old captain, played his first AFCON last year, and says his younger team wanted to prove themselves against older players.
“I’m actually from Ethiopia, but the big Ethiopian team was taken in the tournament, so I thought Madagascar represents a good country of diversity, and I brought a team of young boys together to play as them,” he says.
“Last year showed us there is a lot of different people and cultures. It’s always a good idea for everyone to combine and share that together.”
Jonny Tewoderos (left) and Yosief Kassa (right) have Ethiopian roots, while Okilo Dimo (centre) has a South Sudanese background.Credit: Eddie Jim
The grand final is on Sunday.
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