exhibition
Dream Team

XXXXXXX (Anonymous)


"I know I'm good. Better than a lot of professional players!" says xxxxxx. "They've already had their chance, mine is still to come." He comes from Liberia, where a civil war has been raging since 1989. Some 200,000 people have died and around 17,000 UN soldiers are stationed there at present. Though the country has been officially at peace since 2003, the warring parties have yet to lay down their arms. Germany has no embassy in the country and warns against visits.

xxxxxx fled after his uncle was killed. He never knew his parents. He arrives on a refugee boat from Hamburg, the Bibby Altona. It is here he first plays football again, then on the street and in the park. Everyone can see that he can do special things with the ball. He joins yyyyyy FC before moving to yyyyyy 93 and then yyyyyy in the sixth division. He also plays for fun for yyyyyy FC, a team of Africans living in Hamburg.

The office for foreign nationals claim he is lying to them and his application for asylum is rejected. He lodges a complaint but the case is still pending. He has a residence permit, but no work permit. This means he is not allowed to leave Hamburg, not even for an away game.

His guardian has tried to arrange a trial with St Pauli or SV Hamburg. But because he could be deported at almost any moment the clubs are not prepared to take the risk. xxxxxx will keep trying. But his chances of being able to lead a normal life in Germany are just as slim as those of making a career in football.