THE PUB: Why you can’t escape the Word Cup mania
It’s crazy, this World Cup thing in Russia! Everybody seems to have gone bananas about it and, who are you to distance yourself? Oh yeah, you aren’t that much into football, be it European League, English Premier, Bundesliga or whatever.
Well, you somewhat care about Simba and Yanga, whereby you cheer the former, even when they play badly, and jeer the latter, even when they perform well. You even boo Yanga when they’re playing a foreign team, the same way your kid bro, Kipupwe, will cheer a foreign team, urging it to eat up Simba at the National Stadium!
So, you reiterate, besides the Msimbazi Reds (first) and Jangwani Yellows, you aren’t really keen on any two squads, each comprising 11 adults, bruising each other as they chase an inflated, round cowhide. But then, let’s face it: the World Cup is something else. It’s more than just football. It’s a global phenomenon that engulfs all, including citizens of the African Continent which, out of its 53 nations, is fielding only five in the tourney bringing together 32 national teams. Oh yeah, we’ve only Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia and Senegal. And as you file this article, already Morocco has played Iran (June 15) and lost 1-0; Egypt was walloped by Russia 3-1 on June 19! Nigeria played Croatia on June 16 and received a 2-0 beating while Tunisia faced England on June 18 and went down 2-1. Latest updates show that two African nations, Egypt and Morocco, have already been sent packing. You’ve been sucked into the World Cup mania mainly because every drinking place in your neighbourhood has installed a TV with a “bundle” that ensures patrons can watch the World Cup. You’re told it is either that, or drinkers abandon the grocery! It means you can’t find a grocery where you can have your warm “Castro Laiti” in peace and quiet.
Our teams are losing alright, but so what? Wabongo are still enjoying ‘poetry in motion” displayed by world’s finest kabumbu players.
And one thing, most of us are now supporting Denmark since there’s a “M’bongo” in the team, Yussuf Poulsen, who scored the winning (and the only) goal when the Nordic country’s team played Peru on June 16. Well, Yussuf is actually not a M’bongo, but his late father, Shihe Yurary, was from Tanga. So, he’s ours! Yes, the way Barrack Hussein Obama is Kenyan because his late father was born and brought up in Kisumu.
You suspend the penning of this column and head to a grocery to join others cheering Senegal who are playing Poland and, oh my! We beat the Polish 2-1! The Lions of Teranga have done us proud! You’re informed this is just a group stage victory and the fight is still on, but that’s not important right now. Of importance is: we Africans have beaten someone for the first time since the craze opened on June 14.
It’s your dream the Lions will maul their way to the finals; amen! You ask Lucy the barmaid to give everyone at your table—plus her—one-one in celebration.
