“From Champigny, we only talk about news items and the violence of young people, I wanted to show that a football tournament mixing all the districts (of the city) was possible”, explains Leonel Ngaibona, president of the Team Balo association and organizer of this local CAN.
Rap in the enclosures, smells of barbecue, scoreboard, flags of Senegal, Morocco or the Comoros hanging on the fence of the stadium and hundreds of supporters… The matches took place on Saturday between the eleven teams of the tournament.
For Team Balo, the stakes were sporting and social, after the brawls between Boullereaux and Mordacs which marked the beginning of the year and the tragic death of a 17-year-old at the beginning of May.
On Saturday, the principle of the tournament was clear: “We appointed captains who had to choose at least two young people from each district”, Les Boullereaux, Les Mordacs, Le Plateau and Le Bois L’Abbé, details Leonel Ngaibona, after a match of his team of the day, the Central African Republic.
“I inquired about the neighborhoods and looked for Congolese. Of course, links will be created beyond football, we will meet again after the tournament ”, Advance Damel 20 years, captain of Congo, finalist this year and winner of the first edition in 2020.
“Today, there are only muddles in the field and in arbitration”, smiles the young native of Boullereaux, who lost in the final against Senegal.
“We no longer talk about brawls, it is only football that counts: there are no more districts but only nations”, continues Khaled, a “former” Boullereaux and Tunisia coach, his voice broken by the advice screamed from the sideline.
Roxane, 17, volunteer at Team Balo assigned to the barbecue stand, enjoys: “Frankly it’s the good atmosphere, it’s nice that everyone is there, in the end we all know each other”.
Sitting on a folding chair, Zineddine Khemici harangues him, his players from Morocco. President of the association “The districts of the heart”, he considers that “Football touches everyone” and that with this tournament, “There is no longer a history of neighborhoods, that eases tensions”.
With other associations such as Mordactif Jeunesse, this figure from the Boullereaux district has been trying for several months to bring together and get along “leaders” rival bands.
“We try to work all together, above all we must not let them go”, he continues. This summer, “Several rival leaders”, aged 17 or 18, went together to stay in Spain. “The first few days were complicated, they didn’t talk to each other, but thanks to the activities we managed to relax the atmosphere, it’s a good start”.
In the same vein, the “Des cités d’or” festival, with artists from Champigny, will take place in a few weeks “to bring the neighborhoods together”.
In Val-de-Marne, this is not the first time that the famous African Cup of Nations has inspired local associations, in the same spirit. This is evidenced by the initiative launched in Créteil in 2019.
Read :
The African Cup of Nations made in Créteil is being emulated
Créteil – Football: after the African Quarter Cup, they launch the World Cup
“Successful bet”, still considers the mayor, Laurent Jeanne (Libres), who appreciates “Exchange” generated between young people, who “Have surpassed themselves through sport instead of competing”.
by Alice LEFEBVRE
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