Lee Dong-hoon, owner of the Chizumulu United FC, a third-division team in the African country of Malawi, on Dec. 9 gives a thumbs up after giving Korea.net an interview at a cafe in Busan. (Lee Jihae)

By Lee Jihae

"They said they couldn't play this season because they didn't have the participation fee of KRW 400,000 (USD 273)."

Lee Dong-hoon, 22, said he remembers this moment vividly. A student at Busan University of Foreign Studies, he also owns Chizumulu United FC, a third-division soccer team in the southeastern African country of Malawi.

A far cry from the typical owner of a team, Lee is neither a millionaire nor a sports professional, just someone who refused to turn away from people in need. His choice led him to the other side of the world to the island Chizumulu (population of 4,000) in a Malawian lake.

It all started with his travels in the summer of 2023. "I visited several African countries in search of little-known soccer teams," he said. "My goal was to make a YouTube video."

Then he heard of Chizumulu, located some 80 km off the coast of Malawi.

"I was amazed to learn that an island with just 4,000 residents had a soccer team," he said. "So I got on a boat and went there."

There, he was introduced to the team. "The pitch was covered in small rocks and dirt, while the goalposts made of pipe had no net," he said. "The players didn't even have uniforms so during scrimmages, one team played shirtless."

The shoes were even worse. "We had players who wore plastic shoes, which would melt if exposed to the sun for long," he added.

He finished filming but could not get the team out of his mind. "I turned off my camera but not my heart," he said.

Chizumulu United FC on Aug. 22 takes a group photo wearing uniforms provided by team owner Lee Dong-hoon (fourth from right in back row). (Lee Dong-hoon)

After returning to Korea, Lee got shocking news from the team. "The head coach said the players couldn't participate this season because they could not afford the participation fee of KRW 400,000 (USD 273)," he said.

Lee quickly sent the money out of his own pocket but soon began to worry. "It's not hard to send money once, but what about next time?" he said.

Blaming a structural problem instead of poverty, he said, "To get to away games, the players have to ride motor boats but the fuel is so expensive."

"Malawi has to export all of its oil and because it's a landlocked country with no sea access, it has to pay fees to use the ports of neighboring countries, and coupled with customs procedures, this jacks up the price. All of this means higher transportation and living fees for the players."

Most of the players are fishermen. "There are a lot of fish but no place to sell them on the island because fish are all over the place," Lee said. "So to sell the fish, fishermen have to pay a hefty transportation fee to take a motor boat to the mainland 80 km away."

Pausing to catch his breath, he added, "It's tough to make a living this way even if you work hard."

Lee decided that a one-time payment would change nothing. "For the team to be sustainable, someone needed to be in charge," he said. "So I decided to become the club owner."

Chizumulu United on Nov. 13 plays the Mmberwa Warriors on Chizumulu Island in Malawi. (Chizumulu United's official Facebook page)

Lee started emailing companies to explain the team's dilemma and ask for sponsorship. "I honestly didn't have high expectations," he said but his sincere concern led to big changes.

Nine companies agreed to sponsor the squad, allowing the players to get uniforms and soccer shoes.

"Change? When players went to away games in the past, they used sleeping bags at school classrooms or abandoned houses. But they can now afford to stay at lodgings and eat three warm meals a day. That's a big deal," he said.

His YouTube channel Changbakgoll (https://www.youtube.com/@changbakgol), which is about the team, has surpassed 130,000 subscribers and the team's finances have grown more secure.

The owner, however, remains cautious, saying, "I'm always thinking about how to ensure that the team continues not just now but a decade or two later."

Lee said soccer can transform the island. "If Chizumulu United advances to the (first division) Super League, the island will change. Money will naturally flow in as other teams come to the island for games and fans come to watch," he said.

The owner's goal is for a Chizumulu United player to make it into a team in the Super League or play in Korea or Europe.

"Of course, there are still many uncertainties," he said. "But I want to do my best to develop the league as much as possible."

jihlee08@korea.kr