The Albion wanted to take advantage of Football OutReach's presence in Mali by giving whatever the club could. So whilst I, was living here, the boys back home asked me to find a team that really needs a kit and give them our old Away kits from a couple of seasons back.

I knew just the team.

'Cite El Farako' is a team of young and old players who play on a tiny but magical 4 a side pitch, every night, in my quartier of Bamako. Under the stewardship of Mohammed, Issou and Mr. Sow, younger players get a chance to play regular football without having to travel far, and in a safe environment within their own community. They even let a 'Tubab' (me) play. The 3 older men negotiated with the local government, to use the 4 a side pitch and keep it undeveloped for the youth of the Cite El Farako. Unfortunately, despite having at least 20 players that turn up every night, it has been very difficult for the group to play anything other than occasional 11 a side friendly matches, because they did not have the means. Mohammed, Issou and Mr. Sow perservere though and are committed to starting a club proper, filled with young players from their community.

One thing they missed, was a kit.

So we gave the kit to Mohammed to manage for the team one night last week, and on Sunday he organized an 8-a-side game against the 'Ancien Jouers de Mali', a group of players who used to play for the Malian national team and tend to play friendlies against other teams in Bamako.

We took about 15 players to cross the River Niger and get to the other side of town, and arrived at a pitch close to 'le tour de Afrique'. Here we played our friendly, on a pitch way too small for eight-a-side, and in fading light, and I'm glad to say the kit was graced with a victory!

The game ended up 3-1 to the Cite, and everyone went home happy.

One of the players of the match, Amadou, said: 'This kit makes it possible for us to be taken seriously as a football club. Now we have to make it happen ourselves'.

I think special thanks should go to Mohammed, Issou and Mr. Sow for the commitment they have shown to this group of players, and when I finally leave Mali it is 'le Cite' that I will miss the most.

All the players of 'Cite El Farako' want to express their heartfelt thanks to the Albion and to the FOR project for donating this kit to them.

For more on Albion in the Community's Football OutReach project (FOR) go to: