Former footballer Alex Ribeiro is backing Brazil to go all the way. Photo / Dean Purcell
Former footballer Alex Ribeiro is backing Brazil to go all the way. Photo / Dean Purcell
The four countries to make it through to the Fifa U-20 World Cup finals may not have a home crowd behind them, but their New Zealand-based fans are planning to make plenty of noise.
West African country Senegal, which had a New Zealand population of 12 at the time of the 2013 Census, is up against Brazil - which has a New Zealand population of 3588 - in Christchurch at 4pm tonight.
And in Albany, Mali and Serbia go head to head at 7.30pm. According to Census data, there are six Mali-born people living in New Zealand and 1062 Serbians.
Following tonight's games, Saturday's final will be played in Albany 5pm, after the playoff for third place, also in Albany, at 1.30pm.
Tickets for the semifinals were still available last night, though tickets to Sunday's game have sold out.
So far, more than 300,000 tickets have sold to the games played around New Zealand.
Mali
Boubacar Coulibaly would like to see his team, Mali, go up against Senegal in the final. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Boubacar Coulibaly guessed there were less than 10 Mali-born people living in Auckland, but pointed out there were more born in New Zealand of Mali descent.
The engineer, who lives in Grey Lynn, had been to every game that Mali had played in the tournament, taking him all over New Zealand.
"I'm a huge soccer fan, and I'm a really big fan of this team," he said.
Mali's supporters usually took flags and drums to the stadium, though Mr Coulibaly had watched games with an ambassador in a corporate box, so he couldn't get too rowdy.
He said the entire African community had got behind the team -- except when Mali beat Ghana 3-0 and support was split down the middle.
He said Mali had lost to Senegal in a pre-tournament qualifying game, so he hoped there would be a rematch at the tournament's final on Saturday.
Senegal
Senegal's Fama Ndiaye says sport can unite countries. Photo / Nick Reed
Fama Ndiaye said she had not met anyone from her home country since she moved to Auckland just over a year ago to work in IT. Nevertheless, she had been following her team throughout the tournament, has been to some of the games in Auckland, and said she'd be watching tomorrow's game in Christchurch on TV.
"I've been very excited to see the team playing over here in New Zealand ... I get very excited when I see people from my home country. I think this is the first time they've made the semifinal, too, so I'm really looking forward to the next step."
She said seeing the community coming together to support the teams had been wonderful.
"I think it shows that despite all that's happening in Africa, people can be united through something like sport, or dance or performance."
Serbia
Serbian fan Misha Zdravkovic with Stefan Petrovic, 3. Photo / Jason Oxenham
IT consultant Misha Zdravkovic said he would watch the game live -- and he also has a ticket for the final so he hoped his team would make it through. "Pretty much every single person in Auckland I know who is of Serbian origin will be at the game and a lot of people from other parts of New Zealand will be coming."
He said that meant about 500 or 600 Serbians at the game -- enough to make a lot of noise.
Former footballer Alex Ribeiro is backing Brazil to go all the way. Photo / Dean Purcell
Former footballer Alex Ribeiro of Brazil said he would head to Auckland's Empire Tavern with a few mates to catch the match.
Mr Ribeiro played football in Brazil for 18 years -- including 10 years with Rio de Janerio team Fluminense as a striker -- and he said he'd seen some good talent at the U-20 tournament.
He agreed with comparisons between football and religion in his country.
"People care more about soccer than about politics and economics," he said.
