Round-the-World Cup

It's been so much fun to travel through Africa during LA COUPE DU MONDE!
Even during everyday life, TVs are almost always tuned into soccer matches. Badji's waiting room pavillion hut and every boutique in Kédougou are constantly host to crowds squinting at tiny players for teams like Manchester United. But now, Manchester United is watching OUR teams. It's time for Africa! (Shakira reference... what a great song!)
This year participating African nations included: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and host South Africa. I got to be in Côte D'Ivoire for one of their games and Ghana for three of theirs (their last one in Burkina). It is the Most Exciting Thing Ever. I've never seen such universal support across the country for anything. There is nothing in America that compares. The Superbowl is more for eating and meeting up and even then only a percentage care. Most people seem to be more on the "Oh yeahh.. when is that? Who's playing?" side of things. (Guilty.) I think the presidential elections are more similar because at least everyone's more or less paying attention. But that only divided the country! The World Cup is a beautiful unifying event of the collective heart. (I realize I sound gooey cheesy, but I don't care! I'm swept away by the festive mood! Weeee!)
For the Ghana vs Germany match, we were dismayed to find out that it wasn't an afternoon game like we'd thought. It was scheduled during our bus-ride. Nooo! So we dejectedly boarded the bus in our Ghana hats (and slap bracelet thank you very much!) bummed to be missing out. But at every slow-down of the bus, we stuck our heads out the windows to catch glipses of boutique TVs which are so considerately posted all along the roads. A few other passengers had phones or radios stuck to their ears and gave secondary running commentary. So it ended up being kind of fun and amazing how connected we all still were.
Ghana lost that game as we arrived in Hohoe, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the streets! As we climbed down the stairs we were able to join in right away with the dancing, singing, marching, cheering, and chanting of "BLACK STARS!" Street party! People honked all around and zoomed by doing acrobatic tricks on motorcycles (which made me tut and worry at the time, like the old woman I've become.)
Ghana was still in the tournament and there were absolutely no hard feelings about the loss. Booboo and I marvelled at this because we're used to more critical fandom. She said in New Zealand, they turn on their teams with wrath at every loss. I thought of the most zealous Yankee fan I know who one day angrily thrust his Yankees keychain at me after they lost. Fair-weather fans! I wouldn't want to play for you!
"See the champions
Take the field now
You define us
Make us feel proud!"
(If you don't know this song, you are unforgiveably estranged from the rest of the world!)
The most exciting game was of course the Ghana vs US game. I imagine other citizens of World Cup countries had trouble visiting rivals with some overenthusiastic fans showing actual animosity. But here it was all the friendliest rivalry I've seen! There was only a jovial "IIII'm gonna getchu!" atmosphere. It was actually fun telling everyone I was an American before the match. Although it helped that I was on the right side...
Now I'm not a total traitor. I wanted the US to score... once. Then we could still hold our heads up. But I definitely wanted Ghana to score more!
We were returning late that day from a pottery site village of an aquired friend (who is in love with Booboo, incidentally). The traffic jammed up as we all became frantic to see the game. It's starting! We raced into a cab whose driver then jumped out to fiddle with the engine. Nooo! We thought about jumping out to find a different cab, but then we heard the crackle of static and announcer voices. He was only fixing the radio to hear the game! Hear, and see too, as it turned out. It's no exaggeration that every single TV was tuned into the game. As soon as we passed one set, we came into view of another. As we drove down the streets of boutiques, masses of men, women, and children glowed before the boxes, bouncing with excitement.
Ghana scored the first goal while we were still in the car. "GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!" (the world all nationalities can understand!) The crowds in front of the boutiques starting jumping up and down. People starting running around with airplane arms as if they'd scored it themselves. Cars all over the road blasted their horns and carried pumping fists out their windows. I waved my own yellow, green, and red hat back at the festive world. Party in transit!
We finally stopped at a crowded restaurant when we couldn't stand it anymore. I had the best burger of my life and joined heartily in the merry-making. A lot of Africans are quite theatrical (I blame the soap operas) which makes events like game-watching all the more entertaining. These fans were passionately invested: moved to tears or stomping tantrums at small losses and even stronger reactions to success. And I found myself heppily carried along.
I felt a little bad for the US team, mentally comparing that moment in America to the one here. How many people were watching quietly in brightly lit rooms on large couches over there? Who are not actually immigrants? I hear crickets. Which is why I wanted our goal. But for all the fans on this continent, I really wanted Ghana to win. For all the people on their tiptoes in the back of starlit crowds... for all the little barefoot boys thinking, "That could be me!" for the first time... for all billions of breaths held here... GO BLACK STARS!
When they did win, it was like the ball dropped on New Year's. Or like we'd all just won the lottery. Screams, jumping, overturned chairs, sudden abnormal-to-the-culture embraces between strangers, hands shaking every single other hand in communal congratulations... What deserved joy on a continent of hard lives!
Since then, Ghana has unfortunately lost to Uraguay, thus ending our dreams of African victory-- for now. But the fans are still as proud and loyal as ever. And the party is not over!
It never will be.