The Big Stage

This Saturday, I went to the Ugandan National soccer game against Angola, a 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying match. The journey there alone was incredible. I was going with my friend, Michael Bolton, an Aussie who I had met in Jinga earlier in the week. Of course, we were running late, so we decided to meet Courtney and Heather at the game rather than meet up with them in town. I was also running low on cash and already owed Michael Bolton 20,000 shillings from the night before (~$10), so we opted to split a boda there. Michael Bolton also happens to be 6'8", so just try and picture me and him crammed together behind the boda driver. There was tons of traffic heading towards the game, so we were weaving in and out of stopped traffic the whole ride. To top it all off, it started to rain just as we were starting to make good time. Although it was a ride of a lifetime, I could have done without the sting of rain drops hitting me in the face at 60 mph.

When we got to the game, we had to sample the tailgate fare -- grilled goat on a stick. Apparently, anyone is able to set up shop and starting selling whatever they feel like. We hurried into the stands and could hear the celebrations from the first Ugandan goal as we were halfway up the steps. The atmosphere at the game felt like the biggest backyard soccer match in history. The fans were a ragtag bunch, spilling over the railings in every direction. The bleachers consisted of over-sized cement steps, and seating was first come, first serve -- forget row letters and seat numbers. All the food vendors were private vendors selling chapatti (flat-bread), goat kabobs, or grilled corn (that actually tastes like popcorn). The crowd was easily the greatest part of the game. They never missed a second -- every completed pass, every good look, every cheeky dribble -- they cheered for everything, just like they would on the playground. Uganda ended up winning 3-nil what was a fairly sloppy game due to the rain. Nonetheless, all of Kampala erupted after the victory. Every taxi and truck on the streets were packed with celebrating fans blowing vuvuzelas. It was a good win for Uganda also, because Angola was definitely the favorite to win their group. It's pretty obvious by looking at this experience how important the sport of soccer is to this country, which is encouraging. What better tool for social change than a passion that can unite so many cultures in such a short period of time?