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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Around the world, people are watching, reading, and listening to one thing – World Cup Football! Fans want to hear everything about their teams. They do not want to miss even one game. And they especially love to watch their favourite players.
For most football players, playing in the World Cup is a life goal. It is the result of hard work, practice, and many games. Today's Spotlight is on just two footballers who have played in the World Cup. Both of these footballers see their footballing skills as a gift from God. They talked to journalist Adrian Barnard of 2K+ about their lives in football.
Our first footballer is Cyrille Domoraud. Cyrille is from Ivory Coast. He played most of his career in Europe. But he also played on Ivory Coast's national team. With that team, he played in the World Cup in 2006. This was the first time Ivory Coast competed in the World Cup.
Cyrille began playing football as a child. At first he wore no shoes. But the game became more real to him when he got his first football shoes. He remembered,
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"For me, the first time I had the shoes in my hands, it was wonderful. It meant I had made the first step up, from playing barefoot in Africa, and now I could start to make my way in 'real' football."
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The proudest moment of Cyrille's football life was in playing on the national team. He was chosen to play for the first Ivory Coast team to play in the World Cup.
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"For years the Ivory Coast had tried to qualify. It was down to me and my teammates. We wanted to give this gift to the nation during a critical time of our suffering."
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Ivory Coast had experienced unrest and conflict, in particular a civil war. Cyrille talked about the effect on his country when his team competed in the World Cup.
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"People worked together more, it helped the government to see that Ivory Coast could survive. When we won a game, everyone was celebrating – even political enemies. There was a time when they were separate and divided, so when we won, everyone was so happy."
"When we qualified for the World Cup in Sudan we sent a message to our government. We asked them to lay down their weapons and work for peace. We the players did our part by getting the Ivory Coast on to the great world stage. Now we were at that level, it was the leaders' responsibility to keep the peace."
"Today, things have changed. Everything we worked hard for has borne its fruit, the results are complete."
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Cyrille says that his Christian beliefs have been important to his football play. His sister had taught him about Jesus Christ. Before that, Cyrille had many fetish objects – many things that represented a kind of spiritual power. When Cyrille became a Christian, he realized that these things did not protect him. They were not what he needed.
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"I knew then that I had to leave the things I had known before, so that my life could move on to the next level."
"For me, ever since I became a Christian, I am not afraid. I am at peace. Peace is in my heart and spirit."
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Cyrille also says that his Christian faith and his life in football are similar in some ways.
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"Football is my daily routine. So is God. God is my life, football is my life. Football keeps me alive. But God is the source of my life. In the morning, I think about football. But first I think about God, because for me, God is part of my daily life."
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Today, Cyrille does not play football for his country. That part of his life is past. But football is still part of his life. He works with the Cyrille Domoraud Center. This is a training and education center for young footballers. His goal is to encourage these young players in the game, and in life.
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Our other footballer is Brazilian star Lucio. His story is similar to Cyrille's. He is also a Christian. He has also played mostly in Europe - but he plays for his national team - in his case, Brazil. Like Cyrille, Lucio began to play football as a boy.
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"All children in Brazil love to play football and I was no different. Playing football has always given me great joy. I never dreamed that I would one day play for the Brazilian national team, or for a great European team."
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For him, playing for the national team was very important.
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"I believe the first time I was selected was in September 2000. I was with my wife and it was a very emotional time for both of us. When we received the news, we cried tears of joy."
"Today, as I look back, I have played for the Brazilian national team many times. But the first time was, without a doubt, the best. It was like a dream come true, where I could see the Hand of God directing my life. I believe that everything I have, and have achieved is a blessing from God in my life. That includes playing for the national team."
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Lucio is the captain of the Brazilian National team. This leadership job is very important to the team.
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"I think that the most important thing is to create an environment of team spirit, as well as order and discipline. These things are important: encouraging my team-mates to have healthy friendships, speaking positively and encouraging them during the games, showing trust and acting in a professional way while training and playing. As team captain and leaders, we have a central part in this."
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Lucio's Christian faith is an important part of his football life. He talked about the difference that Jesus Christ makes in his life.
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"Without question, the difference is great. The world judges your worth by who you are and what you have. For Jesus, your worth is not what you have, who you are, where you play, or what you do for work. Jesus loves you the same, apart from all these things. For me, I see this when I win and when I lose. In God's eyes, I am the same person. And he will continue to love me the same way."
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At Spotlight, we wish the best for all the teams, players and fans. Only one team will win the World Cup. But it is a chance for the whole world to come together. We hope that everyone enjoys this worldwide celebration!
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