This season our Senior Boys Soccer Team had a special opportunity:
Playing a scrimmage game against the Cameroon Women’s National Soccer Team — the Lady Lions.
I asked coach Jordan Cone how in the world this opportunity came along. He replied that it’s God working through relationships with coaches. Long story short, RFIS beat a local team who had played against the women’s team earlier in the day. Their coach introduced Coach Cone to the coach of the women’s team, and then invited them to play a scrimmage the following Monday.
Why would a National Team want to play high school boys? Part of it may have to do with the field at RFIS. Ours is probably at least the 2nd best if not THE best grass soccer field in the country! The women are getting ready for Africa Cup of Nations, where they will likely play on a grass field, and normally they practice on dirt or turf. So their eyes popped and jaws dropped to see such a beautiful field hidden away in a small corner of Yaounde.
They started the scrimmage with group prayer in the middle of the field.
Nate (goal keeper) and Ben (defender) played teh whole game. They and all the boys learned great respect for these women athletes. They’re fast, they’re strong, they’re professionals. For those who had seen the women’s team play on television, it was like playing with celebrities! After the first 1/2, Coach Cone put in the secret weapon – a young man who is helping out at RFIS for a couple months who happened to train for the Swedish professional team until he suffered an injury putting that dream on hold. Once he got in the game, morale of both players and spectators shot through the roof — if there had been a roof. RFIS regained confidence and decided to just enjoy the opportunity to play. What fun it was to watch!
To watch Nate block a penalty kick, click on this link
The guys even scored a couple goals! Final score was RFIS 3; Lions 7
Later we learned that a very important person was in attendance that day, the Director of National Sports. And one of our Cameroonian students caught his eye. By the end of the week that student was accepted on the National Youth Team! That, my friends, is like having a Hollywood producer come to your high school play practice and hire you for a movie! And God gets all the glory for the connections that made it possible.
The first time this young man practiced with the National Youth Team, he asked if he could pray with them. And then he did – prayed with the National Youth Team. His mom and all of us at RFIS are so proud of him! And even more so after learning that sorcerers are hired by the national teams to ensure success.
When the scrimmage was over, the RFIS team gathered with the Lions to end with prayer.
Part of Ron’s job is to keep the soccer field maintained. His grandfather taught him that a job worth doing is worth doing well. Even if that job is maintaining a playing field for high school students. And since he does his job well, that playing field has attracted the attention of professionals, has opened doors of opportunity to students, and has opened doors of opportunity to share the gospel with people we might not otherwise be in relationship with. RFIS – where God is glorified in all things… even in soccer!
