Sekou Souleymane Diallo, 26, a migrant who arrived in Italy from Mali, is not only a laborer who fights for the rights of foreign workers, but also the captain of a unique football team in Italy.
In Viterbo, the city where this adventure, not only sporting, was born, everyone calls it "the farm workers' team", in reality it is called ASFA-UILA (African Football Sports Association).
According to the promoters, it all began when some farm workers who already played together lost the use of a small field where they regularly met. From there, the idea of creating a real team, supported by the union and the local diocese, was born.
From the beginning, football has been used as a tool to send a political and social message: to fight gangmastering, denounce exploitative conditions, and promote integration. The first official match was organized in July 2024 as a symbolic event "against the exploitation of laborers and for the right to life."
The team is made up of players of numerous African nationalities—including Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, and other countries—who work in the countryside around Viterbo province. Many are employed in olive harvesting and other agricultural activities in Tuscia.
Over time, ASFA-UILA has played friendly matches throughout the province and achieved a significant milestone by participating in the Third Category championship through a partnership with the Barco Murialdina club. This move was hailed by the promoters as a historic achievement, as it brought the fight for farmworkers' rights into an official FIGC competition.
Cover photo from www.uilaviterbo.it/
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