April 10th is the deadline to register for the Gothia Cup 2013. For the teams that have not yet registered, there is plenty of time left.

Alreday have 50 different nations registered. It is similar as last year, so we expect the Gothia Cup 2013 once again become a tournament with more than 70 nations.

In early January, we began playing again after two weeks of Christmas and New Year’s holidays. A break that gave new energy. More players return for more training and it starts to resemble real teams in the different age categories. We are also in the process of choosing captains to further strengthen the team and responsibility feeling. Great news for this month is that training with girl’s categories have finally started. After a briefing, which included some pictures and videos of Swedish women’s football,  up 50 girls signed up to play. So every tuesday, you can now see a large class of motivated girls practicing football and at the same time they really learn the art  of team work.

Showing a movie for the girls on Mfilo Etou after winning a match at Mfilo Thomas. Sankara is a neighborhood in northern Brazzaville and there has CF Gothia two fields in the middle of a school district with several students. There is always much hustle and bustle and quite a bunch of guys training out there every week. Etou is 16 years old and has been playing a long time for Thomas Sankara. He is in his fourth year in the CF Gothia. Football is his passion and he usually trains four times every week. If possible, he tries sometimes to get to Mfilo, where our main center is, to do some ”extra training” and meet other friends. Besides football, time flies with school and friends. Next year Etou starts high school and he wants to study his favorite subjects: mathematics and English.

Since my first day at Thomas Ankara has Etou been the one who has kindly followed me to the bus. A day after a workout, I follow him home where he lives. A twenty minute bus ride takes us to Ouenze and ruelle Borbeaux. Etou lives here with his father and four siblings. Inside the front door we are greeted by four women seating each one on a stool, talking and cooking, one of them turns out to be his aunt. Then Etou shows me the part of the house where his immediate family lives. I can get into one of the two smaller rooms with sofa, dining table and full of paintings on the walls. It’s simple, but nice. Etous father arrives and welcomes me warmly, we chit chat a little bit and some of the little ones who have been curious about the ”mundelen” (whity) pass by before we have to go. What strikes me the most about the visit is how welcoming and open the family is, and it’s something you often feel here in Congo.

Thanks for your support that makes it possible for Etou, the girls categories and all the other young people at Gothia to devote his spare time to what they like best.

The Football volunteers / Alexandra

Now you can also follow the Gothia Cup on Instagaram. Here we will post pictures in places that we visit, important events in the planning of the Gothia Cup and of course pictures from the tournament.

You can find us as: gothiacup_official

May this joyous season bring you success, good times and happiness.

Looking forward to see you next summer!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Gothia Cup stab.