Soccer Fever

Since the Ivory Coast made it to the Africa Cup Soccer Finals this year, our city was in the grip of soccer fever.  The Africa Cup lasted close to a month and so many of our friends were so involved in watching the games we even had to put off some storying groups.  It is really funny to listen as a game progresses.  You can hear the entire city celebrate goals, boo bad calls and go berserk as the game ends.

Several times as the Ivory Coast, celebrations would break out in the street.  Cars honked their horns, pedestrians cheered and tooted their vuvuzelas.  Bars had all night parties with loud music.  Soccer is so important here that many teens sack regular school and if they can find the funding, go to private schools where they play soccer all day and teach them the basics of reading and writing on the side.  All the boys Caleb's age are on the field playing soccer every day during every free minute. 

So the night of the big game, we'd intended to go to a friends house to watch the game.  Because the game started late, I took the two younger kids home early, but not before even Ben got in on some street soccer games.  He had a great time chasing that ball and kicking it whatever direction he happened to be running.  Caleb also went off to the soccer field and found some buddies to kick the ball with.  As the game began and we went home I knew I'd be able to keep track of the score by the street noise.  Sadly the entire game went by with no noise at all in the streets.  Anybody that has been here, knows there is always some amount of noise, but not this night.  When Mike and Caleb got home they told me that the game went 0-0 all the way to the end where the other team won in some sort of kick off.  You'll have to forgive my lack of soccer knowledge. 

I thought it would all end, but the next day, nobody came to work.  I thought it was pretty strange, but then found out that they had declared a national holiday so that the whole nation could regroup and get their heads back on straight after the grief of the all too close loss.  I was talking to one of our guards and he told me that even if people had gone to work they wouldn't have been able to think well because of their sadness over the game so it was just best that everyone stayed home.  I thought that was all pretty ridiculous until I heard that there had been actual fights over ethnic tension because of things that happened in the game.  Fortunately the city really did get themselves back together and were ready to work on Tuesday.

I'm learning!  For all of you soccer fans, make sure you book your tickets to watch the next big games here.  I can't imagine any fans more fun to watch alongside!
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