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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in MOSCOW, Russia
FIVE-TIME World champions Brazil yesterday won the Gazprom Football for Friendship Nine Values Cup after being chosen by the young participants at this F4F programme that ended on the eve of the World Cup tournament kick-off. The young participants, who included the Zimbabwean duo of Allan Kapiri and Awakhiwe Ncube, were given the honour of choosing the winner of the award which marks the greatest commitment to all the nine values of the F4F programme.

These are friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour. By winning the trophy, Brazil join previous winners that include FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Al-Wahda, Syria and Real Madrid.

Before the announcement of the winner at the Centre for Oceanography and Marine Biology, legendary Spanish goalkeeper Iker Cassillas said it was refreshing to see so many children being brought together by football.

“For me, it gives me great pleasure to see so many children from different areas around the world being brought together by this Football for Friendship programme.

“I would like to extend my appreciation for being invited to such an event because, for me, the two most important things about this gathering is friendship and football which are so important,’’ said Cassillas.
The Nine Values Cup was sculptured in 2015, two years after the Football for Friendship programme started.