Refugee football tournament at Solihull Moors FC

The skills are slick, tackles strong, and atmosphere off the scale – welcome to a football tournament like no other. Players hail from Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan to name a few and all have one thing in common – they’re refugees and asylum seekers living in hotels as they await their fate.

Holed up in hotels in Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall and Birmingham, most have fled war or persecution and landed in the Midlands for safety. But uncertainty gets left at the pitch, as this unique event brought them together at the ARMCO arena this week to compete in a final they’ve been training for since November.

The sports programme runs in partnership with Solihull Moors FC, Solihull Council, Solihull Active and local refugee groups, and sees a Solihull Moors coach train players every week. Some have made treacherous journeys to reach safety in the Midlands – but the sense of freedom and belonging on the pitch is clear to see.

The event took place on June 21 right in the middle of Refugee Week, which celebrates the contributions and value that refugees bring to the country.

Look through our photo story below to see what took place on the day.

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Solihull Moors Football Club hosted refugees in the local area for a football tournament – and the competition was fierce with players coming from war-torn Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea and more

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Participant Nader Mussa, 22, who is Eritrean

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Participant Noureldin Ali, a huge Birmingham City FC fan

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Jordan Murphy, head of Solihull Moors foundation

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Solihull Moors Football Club refugee football tournament on June 21

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Solihull Moors Football Club are engaging with refugees in the local area for a football tournament.

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Mohammed Fahim Zazai of the Afghan Community welfare centre in Walsall

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Solihull Moors Football Club hosted a refugee football tournament on June 21 2023

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Solihull Moors Football Club are engaging with refugees in the local area for a football tournament

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Mohammed Fahim Zazai, founder of Afghan community and welfare centre in Walsall pictured in centre with some of the players at the refugee football tournament hosted by Solihull Moors Football Club

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Solihull Moors Football Club hosted a refugee football tournament and the atmosphere was electric

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Participant Mohammed Faris, who is living in Solihull. He said he wants to work as a security guard at football games when he receives permission to work

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Participant Mohammad Mansoor who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban invaded last year

(Image: Birmingham Live)

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Participant Kamran Khan, 19, said: “This event is important to me because I was in a hotel for some days, and for me, for my thinking, for my brain, I come out to enjoy with my friends and meet new people”

(Image: Birmingham Live)