Indian football icon Baichung Bhutia will rub shoulders with international stars like Kaka, Didier Drogba, Fabio Cannavaro and Steven Gerrard in an exhibition match next month to raise funds for African children.
Bhutia will play in the "Goal 4 Africa" match, to be kicked off by football legends Pele and Michael Platini on July 12, at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
"Goal 4 Africa" ambassador and Dutch star Clearance Seedorf has invited Bhutia for the unique event inspired by Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela's dream of "Education for all -- all for education".
The match, which aimed to raise 90 million Euros as a tribute to Nelson Mandela, will be held around the anti-apartheid hero's 90th birthday which falls on July 18.
Celebrities from other walks of life, world leaders and corporate CEOs will play along with a galaxy of football stars like Kaka, Gerrard, Buffon, van Nistelroy, Michael Essien, Gattusso, Sergio Ramos and Emanuel Adebayor.
The "Goal 4 Africa" global foundation works on the motto: donate an amount every time a goal is scored, be it in an amateur competition in your neighbourhood or at the international level.
{{/usCountry}}The "Goal 4 Africa" global foundation works on the motto: donate an amount every time a goal is scored, be it in an amateur competition in your neighbourhood or at the international level.
{{/usCountry}}The donations can be made via the internet to the "Goal 4 Africa" fund and it will be utilised for education through sport and social development projects in Africa.
Two-year programme will kick-start with the friendly on July 12 and conclude with the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.