Dynamo fans and African students of Kyiv have played a friendly at the White-Blues training complex in Koncha-Zaspa. The game included two halves 30 minutes each. Handshake of captains – Serhiy Mykhailenko and Christian Elon, smiles, commemorative picture – that’s what benevolence, tolerance and hospitability is about.
Before this match Serhiy Rebrov’s men had training sessions at this pitch to get ready for the Champions League away game against Chelsea FC.
According to the president of “European unit” International diplomatic mission Yuriy Verkhman, In September of 2015 more that sixty three thousand foreigners studied in Ukraine. More than three thousand and a half were from Nigeria. He says that problem of racism is contrived in Ukraine though some incidents happen.
African team on-the-field coach Harry Dianda, who supports Dynamo and Dieumerci Mbokani in particular, agrees with this point. He’s the third year student of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. He was at the NSC Olimpiyskyi end #22 at Dynamo home match against Chelsea. He says that despite what happened that night he’ll keep coming to the stadium as it was hooliganism, but not racism.
- I come to the stadium as Dynamo supporter and buy tickets like other people do, - says Harry Dianda. - What happened is bad, but this is life. I believe that won’t happen again. As for me, I communicated with my friends as everything was fine at our end.
We are happy to come to Dynamo training complex and play football in a friendly atmosphere. I hope this isn’t the last game of the kind.
Early in the first half Dynamo fans opened the score. Serhiy Yastremskyi hit the target. Africans also netted the ball soon. They demonstrated good combination, dribble and well-placed shot. Dynamo performers Vitaliy Buialskyi and Olexandr Rybka followed that.
In the second half Africans got their noses in front. It took Kyivans a lot of time to equalize. Eventually Pavlo Palamarenko converted from the spot.
The head of FC Dynamo Kyiv official Fan-club Serhiy Mykhailenko has commented upon the game:
- Even when there’s rivalry on the field there’s no racism. This match has proved that what happened at the NSC Olimpiyskyi is abnormal. We want to demonstrate that fans can communicate and struggle for victory fairly.
We must fight against inadmissible behavior at our stadiums so that people could come to football matches with their families. The team needs support. It’s difficult to play behind closed doors.
So, with this match Dynamo loyal fans and African students have proved that there’s no place for racism in football or anywhere else.
President of “European unit” International diplomatic mission Yuriy Verkhman:
- Football performs a very good mission – it unites people from different countries of the world. Today guys from four or five African countries play alongside Ukrainians. It’s great we see good positive emotions here.
I’ve been cooperating with different Ukrainian and foreign organizations for years. There’s good attitude here to those, who study or work in Ukraine. As for the incident at the match, I think it was a misunderstanding. People are different. One mustn’t judge the whole country by one situation.
* photos by A. Lukatskyi
Copyright © 2015 FC Dynamo Kyiv
