Lifeline for asylum seeker

BOOST: SEOUL NOW COUNTING ON MAN TO HELP WIN HOMELESS WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT

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Player stuck at Incheon airport after bid to obtain papers rejected.

Fleeing civil war in his home country Cameroon, Fossi Wandji found himself stuck in Incheon airport terminal for a year when his attempt at obtaining asylum from South Korea was rejected.

But the Asian nation is now counting on him to boost its chances at the Homeless World Cup tournament - something that could, in turn, bolster his bid at winning the right to stay on in South Korea.

Wandji, 27, is playing on a squad with seven South Korean players in the tournament, which showcases national teams made up of young, unhoused people, refugees and those who have battled substance abuse.

The tournament, newly backed by global football body Fifa, is hosted by Asia for the first time this year since it began in 2003.

The event bills itself as helping participants change their lives for the better through football and has already sparked a feel-good documentary starring Bill Nighy, plus a 2023 Korean movie called Dream.