Mark Liggins, a member of the Special Olympics North Harbour football team, will play alongside other Special Olympics athletes, football legends and other celebrities in the inaugural match of the Special Olympics Unity Cup presented by Coca-Cola. The all-star match will be played in Cape Town, South Africa on 3 July at the same stadium that just hours later will host a FIFA World Cup™ quarterfinal match.

Mark is one of 16 Special Olympics athletes from around the world who will take his football skills to the Unity Cup as an example of the power of Special Olympics Unified Sports®.

Mark will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on the same playing field as an incredible roster of football legends and celebrities including: South African President Jacob Zuma, former South African National Football Team captain Lucas Radebe, former captain of South Africa’s National Women’s Football Team Desiree Ellis, and Clarence Seedorf of A.C. Milan. And he won’t be the only Kiwi in the game. Steve Sumner, the All Whites 1982 World Cup captain FIFA Order of Merit will be there, too!

Steve, who is perhaps best remembered for scoring Oceania’s first ever goal at a FIFA World Cup (New Zealand v Scotland), will receive the Order of Merit at the FIFA Congress in June and returns to South Africa with Mark to play in the Unity Cup.