Chilean miners sit back and watch the footy

The 33 trapped Chilean miners have been given a bundle of fibre-optic joy that allowed them to watch a live broadcast of the Chilean national football team playing a friendly match against Ukraine.

A miniature projector snaked down a bore hole displayed the game on an underground wall, creating an image 50-inches wide.

Engineers working at the site liaised with a local mobile company in order to bring the live broadcast to the trapped miners.

According to reports by Chilean newspapers, Franklin Lobos, one of the trapped miners, who used to play professionally for various teams in northern Chile and was part of the national team in 1984, acted as the match commentator.

The miners cheered and sung in support of their national team as they watched the game. They were able to communicate with a team of engineers who made the transmission possible.

In Ukraine, Chile's national football team wore T-shirts with messages of support for the miners. Unfortunately for the miners, the result didn't go their way, as the Chileans lost 2-1 to the Ukraine.

The men have been trapped since 5 August, after a landslide at the gold and copper mine in the Atacama desert caused a tunnel to collapse and entombed the men nearly 700 below ground. It is unclear how much longer they will be below the ground.