Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
by Mahmoud Fouly
CAIRO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- "When we were in Sudan, the sound of bombing was always in our ears. It was so terrifying that I used to hide under the bed," said Sudanese boy Yassin Abdel-Maged while training with his teammates at a football academy in Cairo.
Abdel-Maged, 14, fled with his family the ongoing internal military conflict in Sudan about seven months ago. They found safety and hope at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, which reignited his dream of becoming a footballer after enduring hardship in his homeland.
"My ambition is to be a famous football player like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and after we came here my ambition grew stronger," the Sudanese boy shared with Xinhua at a football pitch in Cairo where his academy practices.
His coach Abdullah Essa Abdullah was giving instructions to about 30 Sudanese young players during the training session.
The coach himself also came from Khartoum. He arrived in Cairo several months before the outbreak of the current war in Sudan in mid-April last year, and has been stranded here due to the continuing conflict.
"The academy here provides many things for the young generation, gives them hope for the future, and helps them forget about the ongoing war in Sudan," said the coach. He highlighted that Santos Football Academy also conducts awareness-raising workshops and organizes activities like basketball and volleyball for the children.
Tens of spectators, including family members of the young footballers, often come to attend the training sessions and support their favorite players during the matches.
Among them was Ne'ma Bashir, 50, who came here to watch the training of her 11-year-old grandson.
"Our children are safe here in Egypt... We encourage and support them because they are the new generation, the generation of the future," the Sudanese woman told Xinhua.
Bashir called on the two fighting parties in Sudan, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, to end their conflict so that all Sudanese refugees could go back home.
"They displaced our children and made us leave our homes. We don't want destruction. We want peace. I hope that peace will prevail not only in Sudan but in the whole world," she said.
Cairo is home to many football academies established by the Sudanese and South Sudanese communities, which offer young refugees the opportunity to engage in the beloved sport and build friendships.
Training next to the Santos Football Academy in the rented field is the Future Football Academy, a South Sudanese academy also based in the Egyptian capital.
"I didn't go to school much in South Sudan. When we came to Egypt, I went to school and joined the football academy. I hope to go to Europe and play for Real Madrid in the future," said Yohana Lino, a 14-year-old South Sudanese boy.
Mario Chol, 35, co-founder, manager and head coach of the South Sudanese academy, was refereeing a match between two groups of his players in the ditch as part of the training.
"We decided to establish an academy to embrace our young boys from South Sudan, where they can play, enjoy themselves, and stay off the streets. Our goal is to encourage them to focus on education and football, helping them to achieve a brighter future," the South Sudanese coach said. ■
Spectators, including family members of the young footballers, watch a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys are seen during a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
A coach communicates with Sudanese boys during a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys are seen during a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys are seen during a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Sudanese boys attend a training session at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
