Padre Alberto Gauci and, top, the stadium he is overseeing the building of in a dusty town in Honduras.

World Cup fever has hit a dusty small town in Honduras where a Maltese Franciscan friar is overseeing the construction of a football stadium he hopes will give youngsters a choice over drugs.

Padre Alberto Gauci, 66, who has spent 40 years getting his hands dirty to help the poor community of Olancho never tires practising the philosophy of St Francis of Assisi.

Last interviewed by Times of Malta in 2007, when he was collecting money to build a prison – to replace the State-run one where 427 were cramped into a space meant for 80 people – he was yesterday interviewed on BBC about his dream stadium.

“We were losing a whole generation of youth through drugs. It’s useless telling a guy don’t do drugs, they’ll destroy you. At least we now have something to offer... there are drugs here and sports there – you choose,” he said, in an accent that remains unmistakeably Maltese.

I miss my small village of Għargħur, the bajtar tax-xewk, the fenek biz-zalza and qarnit bil-piżelli

Padre Alberto, as he is fondly known among his parishioners, is credited with having raised money to build an old people’s home, an orphanage and a healthcare centre in a parish of 50,000.

The skinny, chain-smoking priest, yesterday meekly admitted that he must have been through “at least a million” Superkings menthol cigarettes since he last spoke to this newspaper.

To date he follows his doctor’s advice on his 40-cigarette-a-day habit: “I was warned that if I quit, all the ‘monsters’ that have lain dormant inside me for years will pop up and I’ll come down with some malady.”

The attention on his latest project is gaining momentum with the World Cup, especially since Honduras qualified for the tournament.

“You should have been here when Honduras qualified for the World Cup! We were out all night on the streets of Juticalpa.

“These people don’t have very much to be proud of, but I could see them smiling and feeling proud,” he told the BBC.

Padre Alberto is keen to harness this positivity around the tournament in Brazil to try to encourage young people away from drugs, street gangs and violence in the country with the highest murder rate in the world.

“The stadium will be a place where the whole family can come together... sit down, have a roof over their heads and enjoy themselves. At least, that’s my dream,” he added.

His story also sparked a lot of enthusiasm in Malta with several praising his work and initiatives on timesofmalta.com.

Padre Alberto was chuffed by people’s reaction and told The Sunday Times of Malta: “Franciscan humility aside, I can assure you I don’t merit any of the positive and beautiful comments.”

He added: “I’m only a poor Franciscan friar who is trying to finish this soccer stadium so that our youth can have a place where to play and keep away from drugs and alcohol abuse.”

Padre Alberto said he was still $30,000 short – “big money here in Honduras” – to finish the job but he was hopeful the World Cup attention would help.

Nostalgic about his motherland, Padre Alberto said although Honduras was his adopted country, he was still very Maltese at heart.

“I miss my small village of Għargħur, the bajtar tax-xewk [prickly pears], the fenek biz-zalza [rabbit with sauce] and qarnit bil-piżelli [octopus with peas],” he said.

“Every day I salute the Maltese flag I still have in my room. Un abrazo [a hug] to all the Maltese. Thanks to the BBC and Times of Malta for all the positive coverage about Honduras, the country, which after Malta, has given me so much love, happiness and hope for the future.”