African amputees seek victory, pride through soccer

By James Knight and Katrina Manson

FREETOWN (Reuters) - Obie Sesay has stood on the pitches of Old Trafford and Anfield, the hallowed homes of Manchester United and Liverpool soccer clubs, but on the streets of Freetown he has to beg to survive.

After losing his left leg in Sierra Leone's civil war, Sesay is hoping to help his country's team win Africa's first amputee football tournament, which is being played in the sultry heat of the coastal capital's national stadium.

"This team has given me courage," says Sesay, who like other competitors plays with crutches, his amputated left stump wrapped in bandages or cloth.

The All African Amputee Football Tournament, which kicked off late on Friday in Freetown and runs until Wednesday , brings together competitors from Angola, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and host nation Sierra Leone.

The amputees play with speed and dexterity, maneuvering on their crutches to kick and control the ball with their single legs. If a player uses a crutch to hit the ball, this is "hand ball" and a free kick is awarded to the other side.

Sierra Leone's home team, formed in an amputee camp in western Freetown, has already competed in tours and tournaments in Britain, Russia and Brazil.

Its experiences abroad sowed the seeds for a competition in Africa, where most amputees have lost their limbs through war.

"When we came back from Russia last year, we thought 'We need to do something in Africa'," says Jadati Mambu, president of the Single Leg Amputee Sports Club of Sierra Leone, which is organizing the event.

"We're here to explain to our African brothers that after war, after conciliation, something positive is happening. We're like ambassadors of peace," said Mambu, who is star goalkeeper of the Sierra Leone side. He is missing one of his arms.

BLOOD DIAMONDS AND BRUTALITY

Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war was fueled by an illicit trade in so-called blood diamonds, which kept warring factions flush with guns and narcotics.

Child soldiers were abducted from their families, indoctrinated by their commanders, and fed cocktails of cocaine, heroin and gun powder. They participated in widespread atrocities, such as horrific mutilations of civilians.

Many of the Sierra Leone amputee players are victims of gunshot wounds, often received as they tried to escape rebels or were caught in the crossfire.

Centre-back Sesay was shot in the back of the kneecap when he tried to save his mother, who was being whipped by rebels. When he finally made it to a hospital, his lower leg had become so infected it had to be removed.

Players from neighboring Liberia and Angola have also experienced the ravages of war first-hand. The sportsmen from Ghana and Nigeria lost limbs in accidents or through infection.