Waka Waka in Waterford, Ireland

“Goal!”

The crowd goes wild. The bleachers are full and rattling under the constant stomping. While the crowd is quite lively, the ruckus is centralized by a small group in the back. The metal backing of the bleachers is dented from their fists as they keep beat to their own version of Shakira’s “Waka Waka.”

“Tsamina mina, eh, eh.

Waka waka, eh, eh.

Tsamina mina zangalewa.

We come from Zambia”

The singers are all 10-year-old Irish boys supporting the Zambian Gaelic Football team at the Division Three semi-finals of the 2026 Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) World Games.

This international sports tournament is held every three years to celebrate Gaelic sports played around the world. This year, 113 teams from over 30 countries have traveled to Waterford, Ireland to compete in hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, and handball.

Zambia’s Sables Shamrocks is the first-ever African team to compete in the tournament.

A Division Three semi-final is not normally something that would draw a crowd, but Sables Shamrocks changed that. Their story and energy immediately drew everyone in. The team has only been playing Gaelic Football for six months, and for many of the players, this was their first time ever leaving Zambia.

When they landed in Dublin after their 30+ hour journey, their faces were full of smiles as they sang and danced their way out of the airport.

Every interaction with them was high-energy and full of bright smiles, except when on the pitch. In a match, they were grounded, to each other and the ball. They moved the ball with artistic fluidity and stone-cold faces.

“SA-BLES SHAM-ROCKS,” the Irish boys chanted between renditions of “Waka Waka.” Many of them, along with the rest of the crowd, wore Sables Shamrocks jerseys: a black base with green and orange geometric shapes, perfectly tying African designs to the colors of both countries.

When three sharp blasts rang from the referee’s whistle, securing Sables Shamrocks’ spot in the final, local kids stormed the field to celebrate with the team.

Most of these children have likely had few interactions with people of color, as 88% of Ireland’s population is caucasian, and yet their innate response was to cheer and to celebrate with the Zambian players.

With tears in my eyes, I ran out onto the pitch to join the celebration.