Young players battle for the ball while cars and motorcycles pass just a few meters away on the highway in the middle of the city center. The football goal consists of two large concrete foundations supporting the bridge that rumbles above them in Senegal’s capital. Beneath the structure, football takes on a life of its own in the shadows, where dozens of young players fight to achieve a dream. In Senegal, football is more than just a sport. For many young boys, it is also a hope for a better life — and a possible way out of poverty.
John T. Pedersen (1966) is an independent photojournalist based in Norway, with a particular focus on humanitarian issues. I have worked for a number of newspapers, trade press, magazines and agencies. Affiliated with the national newspaper Dagbladet in Oslo. https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2019/37713/1/John-T-Pedersen
