The game, a collaborative effort between Active Southland, Football Southland, MAR Columbia Charity, Lisa Tou and Andrea Murrell, was a chance for players from the refugee community to come together and enjoy a sport that is entrenched deep in both cultures.
"One day, Southland might just have one of the best football teams in the country," co-organiser Andrea Murrell said, referring to the ‘professional level’ the game was played at.
The atmosphere was buoyed by an enthusiastic crowd, the mothers of the players being the most vocal, which only added to the day that also included fundraising by the Colombians who sold home-made food to keep the crowd sustained.
Murrell indicated this would be the first of many games involving the refugee community with a tournament planned for the new year to vie for the inaugural "Peace Cup".
The match was a six-goal thriller but both teams had to settle for a share of the spoils with a 3-3 stalemate concluding a fun day for all at the ILT Turf.
- By Chris Montgomery
