Rwandans join World Cup frenzy

There was a moment of hush observed in different pubs and other public places all over Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, as hundreds of Rwandan men and women swarmed around TV sets to watch the World Cup games on Saturday.

For an important match of the day, fans arrived at the venues about 2 hours to watch Portugal showdown against Morocco, the only African team surviving in the tournament.

Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 to reach the semifinals.

Many Rwandans putting on T-shirts of their favorite teams began to sing in concert with those in Qatar’s stadiums ahead of the game.

At Camp Kigali, a local brewing company designed a special World Cup fan zone at a conference and exhibition village, where a giant screen is erected to help football lovers watch the World Cup games.

The brewer has taken advantage of the games to connect with their clients with beer sold at wholesale price to football fans. Some fun games are also played on the sidelines.

In one of the side games called Kicker, winners stand a chance to win tickets to watch the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals in January in Algeria, said an attendant who gave his name only as Karim.

Two winners will be announced during the World Cup final.

At Mundi Center or Boogaloo Lounge, another popular joint for football fans, the entrance is decorated with national flags of countries participating in the World Cup.

Many football enthusiasts were draped in the Morocco national flag while others painted their faces in Morocco national flag color.

Several were seen singing Morocco’s national anthem in concert with the official ceremony in Qatar but yet many others didn’t bother to sing.

Even when the realistic chance seems small some fans turned up at the venues with banners proclaiming: “It is our turn to bring the cup to Africa.”

There was loud cheer on good passes, shooting and crossing by Moroccan strikers.

“We have strong and quality players. Looking at their jumps, runs, the composure of their touch and luck could be on our side this time,” one fan said.

But they have more experienced players, he said.

When time was up Moroccan fans stood up, agitating for the referee to end the game, throwing their hands in the air while others complained that the referee was “biased” when he added eight minutes of extra time.

It was not hard to see why the weak-hearted hate football – pressure.

In another game of the day there was a polite silence where fans sang France’s national anthem ahead of Saturday’s match against England.

For many Rwandan fans, they identify more with the French team because of the number of players whose roots are in Africa.

Such fans have happily been wearing the French T-shirt and singing the French national anthem whenever France played during this year’s World Cup.

“This [France) is our team,” one man said, suggesting that the Moroccan team “represented Arabs more than Africa” at the World Cup.

A woman identified only as Jeannette rubbished him off, saying “skin color does not stop me from cheering my favorite team.”

Country teams are not judged on the color of their skins, but geographical location, she said.

Blowing vuvuzela during the games has become a Rwandan phenomenon.

While the game is also a magnet for beer lovers, at Biryogo Car Free Zone in Kigali’s Nyarugenge district, tea and snacks are served to the soccer fans.

It is a beehive of activity at the free zone and entertaining in the evenings since the World Cup began. Here, hundreds queue up to watch their favorite teams on giant screens ferried to the area every evening.

Mobile giant screens are pinned at both ends of the free zone, presenting what seems like a live event for the fans.