During the final week of the FIFA World Cup the Football for Hope Festival 2010 assembled 32 teams that represent the power of the game for social change.
The Festival 2010 was an official event of the FIFA World Cup and was organised by FIFA, streetfootballworld, the Organising Committee of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the City of Johannesburg.
Special Olympics Africa was represented by a delegation from Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa for this special event. The athletes were, Mmoloki Senamela (Botswana), Vardapen Thaivom (Mauritious), Elvira Goagoses (Namibia), and Mokeliswe Zuma (South Africa). All the athletes were accompanied by a partner and a chaperone. The head of delegation was Charles Nyambe.
The goal of the festival was to stage an internationally renowed, enjoyable and fully participatory event, to celebrate the power of football in creating positive social change, to promote best practice in the field of development through football, to promote exchange and dialogue between participating delegations and to create long-term benefits for the host community, participation, organisations and individuals.
The composition of the Festival was in the same format with the FIFA World Cup beginning with 32 teams. Games were organized in a unique format of playing to encourage fair play. Each team had 8 players – four girls and four boys. Games were played in a five a side format with at least two girls and two boys on the pitch at all times.
To encourage fair play, games had no referees therefore the participants made their own calls but if they disagreed, young mediators assisted in reaching a decision. At the beginning and end of each match, players gathered in a pre match and post match booth respectively, to discuss the match and award the fair play point if it was earned at the end. The team with the most fair play points at the end of the Festival was awarded the fair play trophy.
Team Cambodia received the most fair play points. Special Olympics Africa team was mentioned as one of the closest to receiving this award.