Brazil brings rare good news to Zimbabwe

Jun 02, 2010

HARARE - Brazil’s Samba Boys brought joy to long-suffering Zimbabwe on Wednesday, causing euphoria on the streets as they came to play a World Cup warm-up match.

WORLD CUP WARM UP
Zimbabwe 0 Brazil 3
June 7
Tanzania v Brazil

HARARE - Brazil’s Samba Boys brought joy to long-suffering Zimbabwe on Wednesday, causing euphoria on the streets as they came to play a World Cup warm-up match.

Zimbabwe has been tormented by a decade of economic collapse, political crisis and violence and good news has been rare.

Until this week its dream of some benefit –– especially tourist revenue –– from the World Cup in South Africa had been dashed.

Then Brazil, one of the favourites to win the biggest trophy in football agreed to come to Harare for a match against the soccer minnows of this country.

The excitement was palpable in Harare, with everybody from passport officials to hotel bellboys saying they would go to the match.

Seats to the 60,000 capacity stadium were sold out, but even fans without tickets poured into the area in the hope of getting in and had to be held back by police.

Ticket prices, at $10 were triple the normal rate.

“Today is a momentous occasion for Zimbabweans. We never thought we would have an opportunity to see Brazilians locally,” said one spectator, Dean Chikukwa, a local staff manager.

“We are quite grateful that they decided to pass through this country. For some of us, given our age, this is probably our last opportunity to see Brazil live with our own eyes and not on TV,” he added.

A traffic jam built up on the road to the stadium more than two hours before the 3.30pm kick-off.

Comfortable victory

Brazil enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 victory in their penultimate warm-up match before they attempt to win the World Cup for the sixth time next month.

Goals from Michel Bastos, Robinho and Elano gave Brazil coach Dunga plenty to smile about but an injury to goalkeeper Julio Cesar marred his afternoon.

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