The special game was held on April 27th in the Sierra Leone capital Freetown and received the support of La Fundació FC Barcelona and Esport Solidari Internacional (ESI) and the teams were made up of players between the age of 18 and 40 who had suffered amputations as a result of the war in their countries.

The game took place at the Briama Attouga Mini Stadium in front of 1.700 fans and Liberia won 1-0. The match was held as part of the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Sierra Leone’s independence, which also included a number of activities for handicapped people.

Football as a tool for peace

Both teams represented countries who have suffered bloody civil wars, which finished in 2001 in Sierra Leone and 2003 in Liberia.

The captain of the Sierra Leone team explained “the game is a celebration. The war is now behind us and we have learnt from our mistakes. We want to have peace in our countries forever”. The opposing captain Salomon Eastman, declared: “through football, we amputees can play an important role in our countries to promote the importance of living in peace”.