With all recent the hoo-ha surrounding the ‘Henry Handball’ (which plundered any Irish dreams of reaching the 2010 World Cup), and all the insistence on introducing video technology to the game to clamp down on cheaters - sometimes it’s easy to forget why they call it the beautiful game.

But the amazing thing about football is that it is a global language and everyone is fluent; it unites nations, breaks down boundaries, and makes no judgement to colour or creed. Football is by far the most popular sport on the planet, and with the impending World Cup in South Africa, the African continent is in the grip of football fever. Africa is such a passionate and lively nation, eager to make their first World Cup a memorable first of many, making the prospect of the 2010 tournament so much greater. I personally predict its going to be the best yet…

On a recent trip to Kenya (whose national side sadly did not make it pass the World Cup qualifying round), me and my friend Jack Martin had the opportunity to play some footy with a group of orphans from a youth centre, run by the charity BIDII (Benevolent Institute of Development Initiatives). I donned my Middlesbrough shirt, slipped into my shooting boots and prepared to represent England against a side of enthusiastic youngsters eager to show off their skills.

And boy did they have bags of it.

We were split into two teams of eight with Jack and I occupying opposite sides. We took our positions in our respective halves, and I elected that our team name would be ‘Middlesbrough’, as I dished out some alias names for each of my players; with Wheater and Pogatetz providing strong cover at the back, and young Leroy Lita providing the killer touch up front, whilst I (aka Adam Johnson for the day), took my position on the wing as we awaited kick off. The anticipation was palpable.

The ball was thrown into the air, and the game began. Middlesbrough started strongly against Jack’s ‘Coventry City’ side. We had the majority of the play in the opening half, even troubling City’s goalkeeper on more than one occasion. One thing that did hinder the flow of the game was the absence of a wall surrounding the pitch, and considering we were at the top of a mountain, it made putting it out for a throw-in a rather difficult option. Pretty soon the inevitable happened; Gary O’Neill (as I named him), picked up the ball in the centre of the park, and fed Adam Johnson (me) out on the wing, I danced through the Coventry defence (like they weren’t even there), and managed to slot home a clinical right foot finish into the bottom corner, leaving the keeper in no-mans land.

1-0 to the Boro.

Half time drew in and we took on some much needed water. The kids in the youth group had all been orphaned by HIV, but their spirited display (and off) the dusty pitch was inspiring. They were congratulating one another when they played well, with the older kids looking out for the little ones, encouraging them and picking them up when they fell over. I had a chance to speak to several of them, and they said that they could not wait for 2010 to roll around. Some of them even spoke of their desire to play for Kenya one day. With some of the skills I saw, that might not be such a farfetched idea.

As the dust settled we began the second half. Despite some early pressure it was Coventry’s turn to dominate, with Jack Martin governing his team to a dazzling comeback performance; their best player was a young boy called Najib, but we christened him ‘Kaka in a Coventry Shirt’. Kenyan Kaka showed flair, pace and great skill (very much like his infamous Brazilian counterpart), as he terrorized Middlesbrough’s defence, splitting the backline until before stabbing home a great finish. It proved to be a decisive equaliser, as mere seconds later the whistle blew for full time.

Final score: Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Coventry City.

We shook hands and posed for photographs, and took away memories that will last a lifetime. As a gift, we gave the group the match ball, and I presented the leaders of BIDII with my Middlesbrough Shirt as a token of my appreciation, with hopes they would have as much fun wearing it as I did.

So when the World Cup comes around next year, although on different sides of the planet, I will be cheering loud and proud along with the children of Kenya, and Africa.   

Words and photos: James Prosho. James is currently shopping for a new Middlesbrough shirt.