Football!

Last week a group of friends and I went to watch the World Cup qualifying football match between Jordan and Nepal. The last time Jordan and Nepal played each other (in Jordan), Nepal lost 9-0, therefore I certainly wasn't expecting much. I was excited to go to the stadium, for not only do I pedal by the stadium on my bike often, I also love “soccer” and knew that Nepalis are intense soccer fans.

Everyone else arrived early, but one friend and I had work stuff to do, so we arrived a little bit late. We arrived at the stadium, and found a chaotic tangle of Nepali men, boys, and a few foreigners.  There seemed to be two LOOOOONG lines forming to get into the stadium, where intimidating military men with shields protected the entrance gates.  These guys certainly were not rent-a-cops! Traffic near the stadium was an absolute disaster since the crowded lines swung out into the roundabout and roads on either side of the stadium. However it was the first time I have seen Nepalis form a ‘line’…it kind of surprised me! One of our friends was able to pass two tickets to us through the fence and then we mashed ourselves into one of the lines, hoping we would get to see the start of the game.

We certainly weren't the only people who were late. The line was HUGE!! My friend and I were not only the only females in line, but the only foreigner females in line – pressed on either side by young Nepali men who were eager to know whether we were cheering for Jordan or Nepal.  The smell of body odor and cologne was a bit overpowering, but we did overhear some of the boys behind us “singing” about how nice we smelled.  I guess anyone can appreciate when someone else chooses to shower. When we got near the entrance gate, I could see that the guards were opening the gates for 10 seconds, then closing them and waiting about 30 seconds to open the gate again. As we got closer the line turned into more of a mob and (I didn’t think this was possible) more tightly pressed together.  I didn’t fancy smelling like body odor and cologne, so I stepped to the side of the mob to get a big more breathing room.  BAD IDEA: once the gates opened for our group, I was literally picked up off my feet by the mob and squished through the gates-kind of like getting squished like frosting through a cake decorating tube.  My arm was dragged against the concrete gate, and I left a fair amount of my skin behind.  I have added this scar to the collection I have from mosquitoes, leeches, and fleas.  

Once inside, the game was amazing! It had just started, and all the Nepalis were jumping around with flags and shouting their support for Nepal. Alcohol had been banned from the stadium, but you wouldn’t know it from the antics and excitement of the Nepali spectators as they cheered for their team. It ended up pouring rain during half time turning the field into a giant mud puddle. When the players returned to the field, the ball hardly rolled on the field; it just landed in puddles and splashed around. The Jordan team really struggled with this – they were unable to predict how the ball would react to the field conditions.  The Nepalis were much more accustomed to the weather and how to handle a soccer ball on a mud field; therefore we saw quite a few amazing feats of athleticism as the players slid, dove, and sprinted through the water and mud.  It was amazing to watch!

Security guards in full riot gear kept fans away from the edge of the viewing area. I was told this is to prevent the throwing of things onto the field. However, once both teams had scored one goal, the fans all rushed into the 'do not enter' zone in the pouring rain, overwhelming the security.

True fans!

The game ended at a tie, 1-1.  Nepal did not qualify for the World Cup games, but you wouldn’t know it by the enthusiasm of the crowd!!!  The players and their fans were absolutely thrilled that they had tied Jordan, a team that had previously humiliated them on the field.  Some of the Nepali players were wiping tears from their eyes, throwing their jerseys to crowd, and the fans were absolutely thrilled.  Despite the scar I will have from losing some of my skin to the stadium gate, it was an incredible experience!