The Amakhosi were well represented at the Homeless World Cup currently on the go at the Grand Parade in Cape Town, the tournament, which kicked off on Sunday, will culminate with the final to be held this Friday.

For the past few weeks Chiefs, who have endorsed the Homeless World Cup, have leant their voice and support for the tournament, which has seen, over 500 socially marginalized players from 48 countries descend on the mother city for the week long tournament.

On Monday Amakhosi coach Ernst Middendorp, accompanied by midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi and striker Shaun Bartlett, were in Cape Town to lend support to the event and in particular the South African team known as Bafowethu.

Bartlett was happy to be part of an event, which was aimed at changing and better understanding the social circumstances of homeless people.

Bartlett said, “It was a highly enjoyable day in Cape Town on Monday, for me the best part of it all was watching the excitement on the faces of the players from various teams, as they took to the field for their matches. What this event has done is afford an opportunity to a number of players to play in a tournament where the worlds focus is on them, and in doing so has fulfilled a dream they might have had for a long time and thought will never be completed.”

Accompanying Bartlett at the Grand Parade in the Mother City where the event is being held was coach Middendorp, who has been amazed by the good spirit of the players despite their social circumstances.

“What I have learned from attending the homeless World Cup is exactly what it means to be homeless; I view homelessness in a different light after talking to some of the players from the teams. Back home there could be some friends or relatives who find themselves marginalized due to some circumstance or the other, what we should not to is form stereotypes but instead help them change their social plight,” added the Chiefs coach.

The Amakhosi coach also complimented the organizers describing the event as well run and efficiently organized.

One would think that having being coached by some of the Manchester United players before coming to South Africa for the tournament, one would expect them not to be start struck.

This was not the case when the English team at the Homeless World Cup, spotted Amakhosi striker Shaun Bartlett and would not depart the scene until the former Charlton Athletic star took a photograph with them. Bartlett duly obliged and in addition handed out autograph cards to the team who were only too glad to have their pictures taken with him.

The tournament concludes on Friday and will again be contested next year when the event will be played in the Danish Capital Copenhagen, in 2008 the event is scheduled to be held in Melbourne Australia.