Former football stars Zidane and Ronaldo among celebrity side to play “Match Against Poverty” against Saint-Etienne with revenue to be donated to African countries touched by 2014 Ebola outbreak.

A team for former football stars is to play a “Match Against Poverty” in France, the United Nations Development Programme has said.

A squad of retired football legends including Brazilian forward Ronaldo and French attacking midfielder Zinedine Zidane will play French Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne in April.

The UNDP has said that revenue from the charity match will be donated to the African countries Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia who were most affected by last year’s Ebola outbreak.

The event has been led by UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors Ronaldo and Zidane since 2003.

In addition to Ronaldo and Zidane, there are many ambassadors such as Ivorian star striker Didier Drogba, Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Brazilian female footballer Marta Vieira da Silva and Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova.

The event is supported by FIFA and UEFA and will be televised.

First held in the Swiss city of Basel in 2003, the “Match Against Poverty” has been organized in Madrid, Dusseldorf, Marseille, Malaga, Fes, Lisbon, Athens, Hamburg, Porto Alegre and Bern.

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