NZ Team Awarded Best Newcomers
10 December 2008
NZ Team Awarded Best Newcomers
New Zealand’s Homeless World Cup Team came home from the Melbourne tournament this week after a gutsy effort to place 40th in the 56 team competition.
They also celebrated
winning the trophy for best newcomer. An award that was well
deserved after playing hard, but fair, in all their 11 games
and not getting one citation for foul play.
Team Captain
Everitt Johnson told the award ceremony the trophy was
“truly a great honour” and that “hopefully we can take
all our experiences from here back home”.
Street Football Aotearoa coordinator Katie Owen says, “Players return to New Zealand tired but happy”.
Downtown
Community Ministry Director Stephanie McIntyre says,
“We’re very pleased for the team and the great
experience they had on and off the field. We also want to
acknowledge all the players who trained with the team at the
weekly practice sessions. We look forward to supporting this
initiative again next year.”
The undefeated team from
Afghanistan were the 2008 Homeless World Cup champions
beating Russia, whom they beat in the group stages, 5-4 in
the
final.
ENDS