Angus comes from the Nigerian city, Onisha, and fled to Austria because of religious reasons. After the Graz 2003 Homeless World Cup Angus started to attend German language courses and is studying for a diploma at high school. He was signed by a semi professional football club in the regional league of Styria (SC Murfeld) and went on to play for FC Graz.
Cheong started his career as a professional football player in Hong Kong. His compulsive gambling took control of his life and when his football team terminated his contract he was unable to find work and he became homeless. He joined the Homeless World Cup team for Edinburgh 2005. He has since passed his coaching certificates and coaches a homeless soccer team.
David played for Scotland at the Gothenburg 2004 Homeless World Cup. He is now a qualified coach and as Manager of Scotland recently took the team to victory at the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup. He has completed a HNC in community development and now owns his own home.
Eugene, from Ghana, has demonstrated strong courage becoming free from drugs and gaining employment as a teacher. With his salary he is able to rent a room and is no longer homeless.
Evegeniy, Ukraine won the "Golden Shoe" award for top scorer at the Gothenburg 2004 Homeless World Cup, scoring an amazing 53 goals in the tournament. At 20 years old Evgeniy Adamenko found himself in a crisis familiar to many young people in Ukraine. No job, nowhere to go, no vision for his life. He lived in permanent conflict with his family, stayed at friend's flats, started to sleep rough in the streets of Odessa.
Juan, Spain, failed to complete his university studies and went through a succession of short term jobs before becoming homeless more than five years ago. He now shares a house in San Lorenzo del Escorial which he describes as “a beautiful area near the mountains.”
Lee, Wales, says hostels are draining; you are in with people you don’t know and who have all sorts of problems – it’s a terrible life. The Homeless World Cup highlights the fact that we aren’t all alcoholics who want to be homeless. A lot of homeless people want a chance to get on with life and if it takes football to get that into the average person’s brain you have to support it 100 per cent."
Mario, Portugal, explains that "thanks to the Homeless World Cup people started to see me in a different way, in a good way." After the tournament Mario re-established contact with his family and friends and found a house. He works part-time in a supermarket with ambitions to set up a garage with his brother. He continues to play football regularly and is now the goalkeeper for his local team.
Nikiforos, Greece, admits that even today he finds it hard to give an accurate account of his inner feelings and the way the unique experience of Greece's baptism of fire at the Copenhage 2007 Homeless World Cup affected his life.
Peter, Germany, has started his own library business and attends evening classes in order to achieve a high-school-degree with the intention to go on to study psychology at university.
Sara, Portugal, has suffered from mental illness since childhood. A dysfunctional family life to alcoholism and drug addiction and she spent about two years living in abandoned houses or on the street. Shortly before Edinburgh 2005 she returned her parents house to rebuild her family life. She has finished technical school studying carpentry and decoration.
Stephanie, USA, joined the team when she had outstayed her welcome at the Salvation Army Women’ Shelter and was camping out in an abandoned building. At 45 years old Stephanie was not only the oldest player on the team, but one of just three women. Despite never having played soccer, she learned quickly and soon began teaching technique to new team members as well as counselling younger members of the team on how to roll with the punches that life throws.
Tracey, Australia, was homeless for four years after losing her house as a result of drug addiction and mixing with the wrong people. "I also lost friends and family, basically everything. I was literally in the gutter and felt depressed suicidal and at the end of my life. I did not see a future and could not look forwards. My life was drugs, alcohol and the gutter."
Zroho, Ivory Coast. I was born in 1989 and until 2002 I lived with my parents. In 2002, war broke out in Ivory Coast and the country was divided into two parts. My family and I were in the area controlled by rebels. To avoid harassment, rape or suffering; I was forced to flee my area and walk 300 kilometers in the forest. I crossed rivers in the bush that were infested with snakes and wild animals to reach the capital of Abidjan.
Flercha, Milawi, became homeless at 16. Due to poverty Flercha and his siblings had to leave their parents and their village to try to make a living in the town slums. Flercha and his siblings stayed in Lilongwe, with nowhere to sleep they slept in a mud kitchen with chickens and goats. “It was hard to survive at times, sometimes we went two or three days without food.”
Otis, Malawi, admits the most challenging thing about being homeless is that you feel you are not a human being. Ten years ago, Otis became homeless after having a disagreement with his parents. He was only 17 when he first starting begging to survive. “I was sleeping under a bridge with my fellow friends,” said Otis.
Alex,
Australia. At 25, Sydney-based Alex is proudly representing his country
as the Captain of the Street Socceroos. Alex began playing soccer as a
4 year-old for local club, St Andrews Eastwood. He’s also played for
his university and joined The Big Issue Sydney Street Soccer Program in
April 2008.
Stevie, Australia, began training at Atherton Gardens in Melbourne 18
months ago. He originally hails from St Helens in the north-west of
England and worked in England and internationally as a successful
jockey for 17 years. His work brought him to Australia in 1998.
Toni, Australia. This vivacious 20 year old from Adelaide is the only female member of the 2008 Street Socceroos team. In June 2007, Toni joined The Big Issue’s Street Soccer Program despite never having played soccer before. She is now getting ready to pit her talents against street soccer teams from across the world.
