FOOTBALL - A Waste of Time?

This weekend saw Zambia take on Guinea Bissau in a qualifying round of the 2017 African Nations Cup and the match was being played at the new Levy Mwanawasa Stadium here in Ndola. (Levy Mwanawasa was the 3^nd president of Zambia after Kenneth Kuanda and Frederick Chiluba) The stadium is only 30 mins walk from where we are living so we took the opportunity to go and see the match.

Tickets were bought from The Post Office and we chose the most expensive seats by the Players Tunnel and these cost a huge 150 Kwacha and at a rate of 0ver 10 to the GB Pound the cost was under £15.00. Neither Jan or I are particularly football fans but we both enjoy a good game and looked forward to the atmosphere. We had even bought the national team shirt to wear again at a cost of under £7.00.

We decided to walk in early so we could savour the atmosphere, meet the local supporters and hopefully get some photos. Many fans set up BBQs, drink stalls and souvenir stalls on the ground outside the stadium.. More costs just to compare with Wembley, a pint of Mosi oa Tunya lager (an excellent it is too) cost just £1.50 inside the stadium.

Fans outside

Cooking up dinner

The New Stadium in Ndola

Add the team colours

Jan at the Stadium

Looking down the pitch

Sadly, as often seems to happen, the match was very poor, neither side bothering the other too much. Zambia has 1 player in the national side that plays for Southampton but he was injured so didn’t play. The manager had been changed in the week before so this was a new one and it really seemed as if the players could not care less. Just as 2 minutes of extra time were added, Guinea Bissau conceded a penalty much to the delight of the home fans. This was probably the most exciting part of the match bar one (more later). Surprisingly the home goalkeeper stepped up to take it. Lots of shouting from the fans, the noise from the bands on the far side of the stadium rose to a crescendo. The Keeper walks slowly up, kicks the ball with all the power of an asthmatic budgerigar on crutches. The ball barely makes the opposite keeper who bends down to pick it up. A fitting end to a dire match.

The Teams come out of the tunnel

A Zambain Star?

Should have played 

Nice Hairstyle

The small guy is a famous Zambian dwarf but no idea who he is

The fans

Useless Ref again

Fans

Excitement, well not a lot except that Zambian TV were broadcasting live from the match and I suppose for us and probably the most if the Nation was when Mike and Jan were interviewed live on TV by the local TV star (No idea who he is but I don’t suppose Zambian’s know much about our TV Pundits back in UK either)

TV Crew

Jan being interviewed live on TV

The stadium certainly impressed us, I have no idea on the capacity but it is large and although not full, the noise from the partisan crowd of locals was very loud and in true African style the noise of drumming was ringing around the stadium for a long time.

The other thing that is universal in football is the language. Most of the crowd speak Bemba but even we could understand when the Referee blew his whistle in favour of Guinea Bissau. Yes even he needed glasses, should have bought his dog and white stick or possibly the crowd may have suggested that the marriage status of his parents was bought into question.

Going Home

After The match