An unforgettable afternoon. These are the only words that could possibly be used to sum up the meeting between some 300 secondary school students and the players of legendary Portuguese soccer team Sport Lisboa e Benfica yesterday afternoon at Marcelo Leitão Stadium in Espargos, Sal. The children barely contained their excitement at being able to have the opportunity to talk to and touch their idols. With a sheet of paper or camera in their hands, they battled for every autograph and every photo, and, when they had achieved their objective, they ran to tell their schoolmates and show their parents their "trophies." The positive side of soccer was definitely to be seen yesterday on Sal.

As soon as the bus carrying the team appeared on the horizon, the hundreds of children waiting at the door of the stadium began to shout "Benfica, Benfica." The National Police had a hard time containing the young peoples excitement, as the children tried to hug each player as the team entered the field. As soon as the players had lined up on the turf, the organizers allowed the entrance of groups of children for a ball-kicking session with the athletes. The kids, many of them dressed in Benfica jerseys, were so overwhelmed by the presence of their idols that they could barely decide which player to approach first.

12-year-old Vanisa Ramos, dressed in a red Benfica shirt, was one of the most enthusiastic. "Its great to see Benfica here. I really like the players," she said, never letting go of her notebook and pen. 11-year-old José Petrolino made a point of showing everyone his notepad full of autographs. "I want to play just like Cardozo and Di Maria. Theyre my idols and they play really well," said the boy, who couldnt stop smiling.

Netcha served as an example for most of the children, especially those who dream of being professional players one day. The teenager, who left Sal to play soccer, has now come back as an athlete of one of the most traditional soccer teams in the world. Young Alex Nelson, one of the children present at the session, did not leave Netchas side for one minute. "Im Netchas number-one fan," he kept repeating. When his turn to talk to the player came, Alexs shyness took hold of him, but even so he was able to get his much-awaited autograph.

Defensive player Edcarlos was impressed by the joy of those present. "We knew it would be like this, but its hard to imagine how happy they get. People are really receptive," he told A Semana Online. The Brazilian athlete also expressed his surprise at the natural beauty of Sal. Coach Fernando Chalana "congratulated" the young Cape Verdeans for the "demonstration of friendship shown" to Benfica, and stressed the importance of this meeting with the children, who, he said, could one day become Benfica professionals. Goalie Moreira was also very pleased with the trip to Cape Verde and expressed his belief that these kinds of initiatives help unite the peoples of the worlds Portuguese-speaking countries.

Benfica vice-president Alcino António spared no praise for the meeting. "The childrens behavior has been wonderful. What happened here today was spectacular and shows us all of the nationalities Benfica has," he said.