Festival's Final Day Lives Up To Hopes

Playing as one were almost 300 youngsters representing 32 teams, a mixture of boys and girls from disadvantaged communities in over three dozen nations around the world. The raucous closing concert was a 'celebration of thanks' to the people of the Township of Alexandra, who came out to support them in large numbers over the course of the week-long tournament.

With the Final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup the following day across town at Soccer City, the poverty-stricken region known as 'Alex' hosted two finals of its own - of the Alexandra Cup and the Football for Hope Festival. The culmination of the event - a five-a-side competition organised by FIFA, streetfootballworld, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee and the City of Johannesburg - also included much singing, dancing and award giving, and it was played out in front of a packed house at 3 Square Stadium, which has hosted over 19,000 mostly local residents for the 174 matches played.