- After sustaining serious injuries, MOSES (28) - a former premier league player from Nigeria - is forced to accept that his football career has come to an end. In order to stay in the game, he transforms himself into a talent scout and embarks on a mission to bring young and aspiring African players to Europe. Tempting them with big promises that seem impossible to keep, Moses soon finds himself entangled in football's infamous player trade, a system he once loathed himself. Because Moses once too was one of the thousands of African football play- ers that come to Europe to follow in the footsteps of their heroes Sadio Manee, Yaya Touree, Didier Drogba and many others. But only a happy few will succeed in building a professional career on a European football pitch. For every successful African football player, thousands remain in the shadows, not making it professionally, and not able to return to Africa, out of shame and fear of disappointing their families back home. They keep roaming around Europe, with no papers and no safety net. You can find these stranded players on fields in the suburbs of large European cities. There, they train to stay fit, hoping as yet for their breakthrough.
- Every day millions of passionate African football talents practice on sandy football pitches. These young players only have one goal: to become a big star on the European fields. Often it is their only chance to escape the poverty which they and their families have to endure. Local football brokers scour these places in search for talent which they hope to be able to sell to a foreign club.
Each year thousands of African recruits are given a chance to travel to Europe and try out with a European club. A beautiful future awaits those who succeed. Those who don't have what it takes are not retained. Worse off are those who have been lured in with vague promises but never had a chance to prove their worth. But failure is not an option for these young talents. Some go back and wait for a new shot at the big league, others decide to stay in Europe with no papers and no support. They quickly end up in the underbelly of football and gather on numerous football fields in the outskirts of big European cities.
SIDELINE follows four of these forgotten players on the field of Luchtbal, a suburb of Antwerp, Belgium. Far removed from their dreams these comrades train four times a week with the 'African Professional All Star Belgium' team on the muddy field in between the high-rises. For better or for worse they share their lives as a surrogate family, still waiting for their breakthrough. SIDELINE provides a look into the lives of these players who fight to survive and refuse to give up on their dreams.
The main character of SIDELINE is MOSES ADAMS (28), a former Nigerian international. During a brief spell in Belgium's first division he was plagued by a recurring knee injury. He had to give up football and ended up at Luchtbal. Adams is this film's "Don Quixote". He characterises himself as a football broker and tries to inspire and motivate the others at Luchtbal. Against all odds he aims to give them a chance to play at amateur level. But after several setbacks and confrontations with the guys at Luchtbal, he realises he's fighting windmills.
Meanwhile Adams' funds are dwindling and his life takes a surprising turn. He decides to start a football academy of his own in Nigeria. Like hundreds of other local football brokers he tries to seduce promising players into coming to Europe and in doing so he keeps the football carousel turning.
But can Adams keep the promises he made these potential top talents? Does he posses the necessary skills to guide them in an ethically correct and patient way? Or is the hunger for big bucks his main motive which will unwillingly claim new victims?
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