Ugandan dance group Ghetto Kids are celebrating another milestone after appearing at the football World Cup final half-time show on Sunday – a life-changing experience summed up by 10-year-old Sierra as “very, very, very, very, very good”.
Despite critics bemoaning the addition of a Superbowl-style show, external to the beautiful game’s biggest event, the children’s performance alongside global stars Burna Boy and Shakira was viewed by many millions around the world.
Speaking to the BBC’s Newsday programme, members of the dance troupe and their manager say that rising from humble beginnings in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, then finding fame while balancing it all with schoolwork has taken perseverance.
“Never give up… pray to God. Listen to your parents, education is first, that’s all,” says Sierra.
She and 11-year-old Josephine are still on a high, after their World Cup appearance midway through the game that saw Spain beat Argentina at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
“I saw Messi and Lamine Yamal!” says Josephine about the two team’s stars – Argentinian captain Lionel Messi and Spain’s teenage winger Yamal.
“I was so happy to see Messi and people watching us. I felt so excited and I was smiling, and a little bit nervous,” she recalls.
“Shakira, she’s very kind,” chimes in Sierra.
