Football legends Zidane, Ronaldo lead all-star Match against Poverty in Fez

18/11/2008

The Moroccan city of Fez hosted the sixth UNDP Match against Poverty on Monday, energising the city with the appearance of football stars Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo and their celebrity teams.

By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 18/11/08

[Getty Images] Former French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane (right) and Brazilian star Ronaldo promoting the Match against Poverty in Fez on Monday.

It was a star-studded day of friendly football on Monday (November 17th) in Fez, when dream teams led by international sensations Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo faced off in Fez for the Match against Poverty.

The match was the sixth in a series organised by the United Nations Development Programme to mobilise the public against poverty and promote the Millennium Development Goals, which seek to reduce global poverty by half by 2015. Ticket sales and other proceeds are distributed to UNDP projects in developing countries; last year's match in Malaga, Spain raised some 600,000 euros for the cause.

Zidane and Ronaldo, both serving as UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors, chose 40 of the best footballers from around the world, including local hero Nourredine Naybet, formerly of Deportivo de La Coruña and the Moroccan national team.

The teams offered a mix of retired and active players from leagues across the globe. Brazil's Marta Vieira da Silva, ranked best female soccer player in the world by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), also took part in the match.

The match was played in a wonderful atmosphere, with the players showing off their prodigious talents and skill. Zidane, still visibly in competitive shape, played especially well, though his team would ultimately lose the match five goals to six.

Weligton Robson of Malaga FC scored the match's opening goal after just three minutes, but SL Benfica striker Ariza Makukula equalised just seconds later. Bilbao forward Joseba Etxeberria tapped in the second goal for Zidane's team, but Makukula evened the score yet again.

RCD Mallorca's Juan Arango scored the third goal for Ronaldo's team in the 23rd minute, but Zidane answered with a goal of his own four minutes later. Teammate Etxeberria attempted to establish a lead with a fourth goal in the 33rd minute, but Brazilian star Caca tied it up again in the 59th minute. After that, Tariq added the fifth and sixth goals in the 69th and 74th minutes.

Retired Moroccan star Salaheddine Bassir scored the fifth goal for Zidane's team, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome of the match.

Zidane said after the match, "This is the first time that the match was played outside Europe. I feel greatly touched to be in Morocco, one of the countries of North Africa where I hail from. I'm very happy that the cause we are working for is taking on a great dimension. We are trying to send out an important message."

Ronaldo added that combating poverty on the world level is a noble mission that everyone should take part in.

"The match has a noble humanitarian goal, and was organised by world renowned football players from poor backgrounds," Moroccan international Mustapha El Haddaoui told Magharebia.

"I think local associations should follow in the footsteps of this initiative... by using Moroccan international players, both active and retired, during the breaks of their championships in order to raise money to fight poverty in Morocco," he said.

Yahya Saidi, President of the Fez-based Sanad Association for Social Development and Action, noted the importance of that initiative, saying the match was a tremendous source of pride for residents of Fez and all Moroccans.

Unfortunately the price of tickets – ranging from 50 to 1,000 dirhams – kept the match out of reach for many locals.