According to a statement from British NGO, Comic Relief, the others include Cameroon’s Sebastien Bassong who plays international football at English Club Tottenham Hotspurs; Mamamdy Sidibe, the Malian at Stoke City; Kolo Toure, the Ivorian at Manchester City and Aaron Mokoena, the South African who plies his football trade at Portsmouth, another Premier League team.

An official of Comic Relief told journalists in England that the aforementioned players are expected to participate and assist in the production of a-ten-series-educative films on malaria and HIV/AIDS, which will be projected across the African continent.

The films employ humour to pass across the message that people have to assume their responsibilities, protect themselves and their families.

The players in the films invite their viewers to use mosquito bed nets, know their serology status, use condoms in doubtful sexual relationships and send their children to school.

The 10 short films said to be ready for broadcast in 30 sub-Saharan African countries, for free, have been sponsored by a marketing firm for the English Premier League. The broadcast is expected to last up to May 2010.

Reacting to the initiative, Portsmouth’s Aaron Mokoena said “Football has the power to change lives and players can play a critical role in passing on social messages to fans, especially in the African continent. The short films are an excellent tool that facilitates the broadcast of important social messages.”