The southern city of Antalya, a popular vacation resort, prepares to host President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and prominent figures from international football for a charity match Saturday. Organized by a foundation bearing the name of Antalyaspor's Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o, the funds from the match will be used for education and health services for disadvantaged African children.
A gala event was also scheduled for Friday before the match. The match will be broadcast live in more than 15 countries and is expected to attract a large number of viewers as current and former stars of football, including Lionel Messi, Louis Suarez, Neymar and Maradona, will square off against a team of star Turkish players. Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu are also expected to play briefly for the Turkish team in Antalya Arena.
The Samuel Eto'o Private Foundation, established in March 2006, was created as a nonprofit organization and operates mainly in West Africa. The foundation strives to raise awareness of the needs of the African continent with focuses on the protection of children and young people. It provides emergency aid and encourages education, basic health and social inclusion for the disadvantaged to help them attain future goals, according to its website.
