Haïti - Pays en crise

Frontline Diary

18 August 2004: Peace wins at historic football match

© UNICEF/2004/Morel

Brazil's football stars pose with disadvantaged children invited to the game by UNICEF.

Une version de cette page sera disponible en français dans les prochains jours

During a historic goodwill football game promoting peace in Haiti, UNICEF will help bring to the world's attention the plight of Haiti's children. On 18 August, the national team of Haiti and defending World Cup champion Brazil will play a friendly match in the capital, Port-au-Prince, to promote peace and encourage armed factions to hand in their guns.

UNICEF's Patrick Slavin is covering the event and reporting on UNICEF-supported programmes for Haitian children.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 18 August 2004 - The Brazilian team was driven today from the Port-au-Prince airport to the national stadium in United Nations armoured personal carriers - each vehicle adorned with huge Haitian and Brazilian flags. A mammoth security operation unfolded in the Haitian capital today, but within a few minutes after leaving the airport, the Brazilian peacekeeping troops opened the roof hatches for the football stars, and they (players and soldiers) waved to the cheering, adoring crowds during the half-hour drive to the 15,000-seat Sylvio Cator Stadium.

The players and their coaches were clearly moved by the experience. "Fantastic, fantastic welcome," said Edu, the 26-year-old star Brazilian halfback, who played a masterful first-half today. He controlled the ball masterfully in Brazil's spirited 6-0 defeat of the Haitian national team. "And it is fantastic to play for peace in Haiti."

His head coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, paused for a moment to gather himself about 30 minutes after reaching the stadium. "We've only seen such joy in the eyes, the exuberance of the eyes, when we paraded in Brazil after winning the World Cup. I will never forget this moment."

As part of its goodwill mission, the Brazilian team entered the stadium with the FIFA World Cup which the team won in 2002. The team's captain, Ronaldo, a three-time FIFA player of the year, also demonstrated his linguistic capabilities by filming a public health announcement yesterday in Creole, one of Haiti's two official languages. His message was, "Nou pap pran sida [We will not be infected]. Nou pap bay sida [We will not infect anyone]. La vi - a two bel [Life is too beautiful]." The message was read to the crowd several times during today's Game for Peace, and will soon be broadcast nationwide.

Walking with Ronaldo as he entered the stadium were two children wearing UNICEF tee-shirts: Antonio, nine (who sports a Ronaldo-style haircut), and Donald, four. Donald was born HIV-positive and is cared for today at a UNICEF-supported centre for children who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Haiti has about 200,000 children orphaned by AIDS.

UNICEF invited more than 320 kids to the game, nearly all of whom are from poor families and participate in UNICEF-supported programmes.

In an earlier entry, I quoted the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano. He once wrote the following about the Brazilian team: "There have been no right angles in Brazilian soccer, just as there are none in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro or the buildings of Oscar Niemeyer." The great Brazilian player, Ronaldinho, scored two goals today and his first had three Niemeyer curves. The final curve left the hard-playing Haitian goalie, Gabard Fenelon, flat on his feet, and the Brazilian striker gently tapped it into the net.

One moment I will not forget was the opening ceremony. The two teams spread out in a single line holding gigantic banners saying, in French and Portuguese, 'Social Justice is the True Name of Peace'. After standing together, the Brazilian team broke ranks and one-by-one, the defending world champions walked past the Haitian team and respectfully shook hands with every player from Haiti.

Brazil is a country of some 170 million people and has the world's top-ranked football team. Haiti's population is just over 8 million and its team is ranked 95th.