Football a common language that binds UAE’s Ecuadorean community

Ecuador didn’t qualify in 2010 – but Gloria Rojas and her husband Peter Obrist think this year their national team’s chances are better, having beaten some of South America’s top teams in qualification for the World Cup.

Peter Obrist, who is the honorary consul from Ecuador to the UAE, finds that people in the UAE know of Ecuador because of Felipe Caicedo, a striker who plays for Al Jazira club here and has also playeShow more

ABU DHABI // Gloria Rojas comes from a place that loves football.

While she admits many people don’t know much about Ecuador, she said football is a common language that has helps her foster interest in her home country among her students.

In her work as a Spanish teacher at Berlitz language centre, Ms Rojas quizzes her classes on their knowledge of nationalities and countries using football players.

“Gloria had to learn about football because of her students,” said her husband, Peter Obrist, who is also from Ecuador.

She and her husband, who is the honorary consul from Ecuador to the UAE, have lived in the capital for 23 years. They are two of about 20 to 30 Ecuadorians in the country, Mr Obrist said.

The couple, who are both 50 years old, find that people here also know of Ecuador because of Felipe Caicedo, a striker who plays for Al Jazira club here in the UAE and has also played for Manchester City.

The couple have sought to bring parts of home to the UAE. They decorate their apartment overlooking the the Arabian Gulf with original Ecuadorian art, and made efforts to export their country’s famous roses, which bloom larger than average because of the country’s mountainous yet sunny climate.

It was from the UAE that they watched Ecuador play for the first time in the FIFA World Cup in 2002, faced against Mexico, Italy and Croatia in its first group. The team fared better in 2006 and made it to the last 16, but lost to England in a 1–0 match.

Ecuador didn’t qualify in 2010 – but Ms Rojas and Mr Obrist think this year, their national team’s chances are better, having beaten some of South America’s top teams in qualification for the World Cup.

At the helm of the Ecuadorian team is coach Reinaldo Rueda, a Colombian who has previously coached the Honduran national team, which qualified for the 2010 World Cup but did not progress.

This year, Mr Obrist is rooting for Ecuador as the underdog against Switzerland, where his father is from, he said. The Swiss are the team’s first match in Group E, which also includes France and Honduras.

“It’s a small conflict,” he said.

Deep in the country’s northern mountains lies the Chota Valley, famous for being where many of Ecuador’s top players come from – like Antonio Valencia, the 28-year-old winger who plays for Manchester United. The area has a microclimate of weather that is warmer than usual for the mountains, said Ms Rojas. The couple plan to watch these players as well as those from Quito, their home city.

Other prominent players include winger Christian Noboa, who plays for FC Dynamo Moscow in Russia and forward Enner Valencia, who plays for Pachuca in Mexico.

Following the games from Abu Dhabi can be a challenge because of the time difference, Ms Rojas said, plus the atmosphere here is different.

“It’s all about the preparation,” she said. “Especially because football is the most popular in the world. We follow the games, but it is different – the celebration.”

But technology has allowed them to stay mostly connected with their friends and family during the games, despite being more than 14,000 kilometres from home.

“At the same time they are scoring a goal, we are all commenting on it,” Mr Obrist said.