RP XI draws Brazil in Street Child WC

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines versus Brazil in football?

The improbable match-up takes place when youthful football-playing Filipino street children get to play their Brazilian counterparts in the Deloitte-Street Child Word Cup scheduled March 14 to 23 in Durban, South Africa.

Bracketed in Group B with the two squads are Tanzania and Ukraine, while Group A has South Africa, India, Nicaragua and the United Kingdom .

A side event to the World Cup finals kicking off in July, the Deloitte-sponsored soccerfest is a seven-a-side indoor football competition for street children organized by Amos Trust, a London-based private group that promotes justice and hope to “forgotten communities.”

What is unique about the contest, team co-manager Ed Formoso said, is that one girl must be on the pitch during the match and, assuming she scores, her goal will be credited for two points.

Team sponsors of the first Philippine National Street Children team are Deloitte, Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, Deutsche Bank, Mitre, Whitehouse Scientific, Amos Trust, Bayanihan National Dance Co., Tesoro’s, Amici pizza pasta, and close to 20 individual supporters, or “ninongs” and “ninangs.”