Patriot’s Diary # 18: It's Football Country

One of Kenya’s hugest past times is watching sports, and not just any sport, football. This country is football crazy! Walk into any city hangout place, there is always a 42 inch plasma screen beaming a football match.

The football craze isn’t just about the Bundesliga, la Liga , Serie A or English Premier league. It’s also fired up in the local Kenyan premiere league with arch rival teams like Gor Mahia and AFC Leopard. Their respective fans are so obsessed with their teams that that alone would be a cause for verbal exchange. They may agree about everything else, but when it comes to their teams, there is no compromise.

Conversations held by Kenyan football fanatics always constitute terms like ‘our team’, ‘our boys’, ‘we played well’ and many others. Or will state ‘We will be at Emirates stadium this afternoon’ referring to maybe watching Arsenal playing at home against a rival team. There is such an essence of ownership and loyalty by Kenyans to these teams playing tens of thousands of miles away. It is fascinating.

My first experience, watching a live match was electrifying. It was last year when Kenya was playing at home against Zimbabwe for the world cup qualifiers. The crowds, the cha

nts, the bull horns, the Mexican wave; electric. It’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.

The interesting thing about football in Kenya is even if you care less about it like I do; you will still find yourself abreast with the latest news. There were two occasions that I surprised myself. I was upset that Manchester United sold off Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. The second occasion was when Jose Murinho left Chelsea as manager. I can’t recall his reason for departure. But I still don’t understand why it bothered me so much yet I don’t watch the matches. Though at times I ask for scores for certain matches. (Left: Manchester United's Patrice Evra,a French National of Senegalese descent)

Then there are the big matches and the match filled weekends. You will always know when there is a big match, especially in the English Premiere league. There’ll be chatter in the office about it. People making fun of each other because of the teams they support. Then you’ll have common teasers like Man Useless, referring to Manchester United fans. People branded in team scarves and t-shirts and the taunting phone calls you overhear people having.

I can remember my brother would get three calls during a big match, when and if the first goal is scored, during half time as if they are re-strategizing with Arséne Wenger. And when the final whistle is blown. It is hilarious seeing my brother miserable when Arsenal looses a match.

On a Football match filled weekend on the other hand, you are guaranteed to go deaf! It’s the stadium chaos and noise brought to homes and pubs. The claps, the cursing, the jumping and screaming is blood curdling. It’s like a war zone without any fatalities. Then when the moment arrives and the ninetieth minute whistle is blown, the loosers walk out of the bar with the heads hung as the winners gloat and pour into the streets cheering and hooting.

The rural area is never left behind; with individuals adorning imitations of Ronaldo’s number 7 Manchester United Shirt, or Ronaldinho’s number 80 Milan shirt or even an Argentine shirt with Diego Maradona’s number 10. It’s all about the big names and players that Kenyans care about. I can remember in the 1998 Worldcup, Brazilian Football star Ronaldo was a sensation. So many boys born around that time were named Ronaldo in my rural home. (Right: Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue an Ivorian National)

There is so much about the football craze in this country that one needs to visit to experience, especially now that the World Cup is knocking on our doors. So the next time you are in Kenya, drop by a local pub and soak in the electric feel of football like nowhere else, cause Kenya is Football country.