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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
Brazilian Jose Flavio Alves Cabral is hoping to spark a soccer revolution in South Africa by using the backdrop of the 2010 World Cup to introduce Futsal to children around the country. Project 2010 asked him….  What exactly is Futsal? It's five-a-side soccer that is played indoors or outdoors on cement courts. And your involvement? When I first came to South Africa, everyone was complaining about the lack of fields and proper facilities. Often there were fields - in places like Khayelitsha or Stellenbosch - but the kids weren't able to use them to protect the grass. This is nonsense - South Africa is hosting the World Cup and people are worrying things like grass. Everwhere else in Africa there is no grass but the kids are still playing 24 hours. It is impossible to build grass fields everywhere - there isn't time, money, water. Cement is the perfect surface and this is what I am trying to introduce. What else is wrong with the game at this level? The kids are thrown in at the deep end. The fields are too big - the balls are too big. When you have seven year olds playing on huge fields with size five balls, they lose interest. As a foreigner, do you think South Africa is ready for 2010? No, I don't think so. People don't realise how big this is. They don't realise the opportunities that an event like this presents. I find that very unfortunate. more interviews...
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