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| African amputee cup to kick off | African amputee cup to kick off |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Africa's first amputee football cup is kicking off in Sierra Leone on Friday, when the hosts meet Ghana. | |
| Each of the five teams will have six one-legged outfield players and a one-armed goalkeeper in the tournament, which is being sponsored by Fifa. | Each of the five teams will have six one-legged outfield players and a one-armed goalkeeper in the tournament, which is being sponsored by Fifa. |
| Many of the players taking part lost limbs during long-running civil wars in their countries. | Many of the players taking part lost limbs during long-running civil wars in their countries. |
| Thousands of people had their arms or legs hacked off by rebels during Sierra Leone's conflict, which ended in 2002. | Thousands of people had their arms or legs hacked off by rebels during Sierra Leone's conflict, which ended in 2002. |
| The BBC's Piers Edwards in Freetown says amputees can often be seen playing football along the beach near the capital. | The BBC's Piers Edwards in Freetown says amputees can often be seen playing football along the beach near the capital. |
| Pride | Pride |
| Sierra Leone coach Mose Mambu, whose brother lost a limb in the war, says he is confident his team will make the country proud. | Sierra Leone coach Mose Mambu, whose brother lost a limb in the war, says he is confident his team will make the country proud. |
| I have confidence in my boys, although Nigeria has professional players Mose MambuSierra Leone team coach | I have confidence in my boys, although Nigeria has professional players Mose MambuSierra Leone team coach |
| "Our two-legged people are failures long since, we want to bring football back to life through these amputees," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "Our two-legged people are failures long since, we want to bring football back to life through these amputees," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
| Our correspondent says Sierra Leone has not been known for its footballing prowess and has only qualified for the African Nations Cup twice in its 50-year history. | Our correspondent says Sierra Leone has not been known for its footballing prowess and has only qualified for the African Nations Cup twice in its 50-year history. |
| "I have confidence in my boys, although Nigeria has professional players... we have the technical capability and we are the hosts," Mr Mambu said. | "I have confidence in my boys, although Nigeria has professional players... we have the technical capability and we are the hosts," Mr Mambu said. |
| Thousands of people are expected at Freetown's National Stadium to watch the opening match which was scheduled to be Sierra Leone versus Nigeria. | |
| But the Nigerian players are still on the road and are not expected to arrive in Freetown until 2200 local time. | |
| They have been driving all the way from Lagos and the trip will have taken them three days and three nights, our correspondent says. | |
| The other teams taking part in the All-African Amputee Football Championship are Angola and Liberia. | |
| Despite the end of Angola's long civil war, land-mines remain a serious problem there, with people going to their fields often losing limbs. | Despite the end of Angola's long civil war, land-mines remain a serious problem there, with people going to their fields often losing limbs. |
| The winner of the competition will qualify for the Amputee World Football Championship taking place in Turkey later this year. | The winner of the competition will qualify for the Amputee World Football Championship taking place in Turkey later this year. |
| Sierra Leone came third in the 2005 World Cup. | Sierra Leone came third in the 2005 World Cup. |