Football

Yesterday I went with a group of colleagues and other Dutch people to the football, Rwanda vs Algeria.

My first match I have seen live in a stadium. I don't count the game in Mauritania, where I only could see 10 meters of the field.

We met at the embassy in order to carpool. After a big traffic jam we arrived at the Amhoro national stadium. It can hold 25.000, for African standards a very good stadium.

We had 5.000 Franc (EUR 7) VIP tickets, a colleague paid for some local colleagues. Because the president also came we had to queue for the metal detector. The VIP is VIP because it has toilets and is covered. We got a little plastic flag before taking our place on a plastic chair. So we shared the VIP tribune with some bazungu and the better off Rwandese, and some girls I am not sure if they thought they looked nice or they were of lesser moral terptitude. The president was in the sanctum sanctorum, a smaller bit within the VIP tribune with the first row some leather chairs. It was all very open and not difficult to climb from one bit to the other, but everyone was very well behaved. Mian and Wouter might remember, the part close to the stairs onto the field.

The adverts only covered three quarters of the field and were all Algerian, we can not get Pepsi for example. The dugout were two mobile ones and looked a bit lost. As usual for this kind of event a marching band (probably the only one in Rwanda) opened the game. The Rwandese are very proud and all sang the Rwanda Nziza loud and proud. There might have been a few Algerians in the stadium, but you couldn't notice them. There were two big supporter groups dressed in big blue-green-yellow robes and with a lot of whistles etc. smartly placed at either end of the field. Most people were dressed in normal clothes, some had green or yellow shirts and some (like me) a shirt in the colours of the flag. The atmosphere was good and even though there was plenty of police, they didn't even have to move during the whole game.

The game started terrible for Rwanda, a couple of near fatal mistakes from the keeper, some terrible defense and no pressure towards the Algerians to speak of. One shot on the post from Algeria. Somehow Rwanda had a shot in the nets of the Algerians, but it turned out to be off side. So with our fingers crossed the second half started. I don't know what the European coach had said, but they started to play good football. Lots of pressure (nearly kicked the keeper in hospital) and solid defence, even the keeper had improved. Unfortunately the second half was also goalless, a bit of a disappointment. They seem to lack the finish and seem to have no variation in their attack. It also didn't help that Algerians seem to be bigger and physically strong, this is specially bad if the main form of attack is through the air.

After the president had left the stadium we were allowed to leave. I don't have to explain that this took a while, wherever 20.000 people leave at the same time. As it was nearly seven now, we went for a pizza at Sun and moon, the new outlet of Sola lune (guess what that means).
As nothing is simple here; they have the same menu, only they only have printed a menu with pizzas, so you can order pasta, but it is not on the menu. It is all in the details. The lights have a dimmer, but it doesn't work, so it is either 300 watts on your face, or near dark. Also surprising that they ran out of white wine and soda water, specially because the shop is around the corner.

Maybe I can post some photos soon as our intern has taken some photos.

So recap: better than IJsselmeervogels, but never good enough to even get close to be African champion. But the supporters get 10 out of 10.