“Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers” – Nelson Mandela
More than just a game is a semi-documentary film directed by Junaid Ahmed released in 2007. The film shows how political prisoners on Robben Island in South Africa founded the Makana F.A in 1966. It tells the story of how football helped them to survive a life that involved very little nourishment, backbreaking work in a quarry, and rough treatment from wardens.
Robben Island also held an immate more famous than the rest – Prisoner number 46664, Nelson Mandela.
He was not allowed to play because he was held on the isolation wing. He secretly followed games from his cell until they built a wall to block his view. But the sound of every kick and cheer that reached him still managed to keep his spirit up.
July 18th was International Nelson Mandela day and it marked the 100th birth centenary of Mandela.
Here’s an excerpt from a speech Obama gave in Johannesburg on the day,where he links the success of the french football team at Russia 2018 to an open immigration policy.