To campus girls who watch the World Cup

We are in the season of the biggest football event in the world; the World Cup. And so we have many self-proclaimed football analysts. They are bothering everyone with their bogus opinions on Facebook about who is going to win and who is not. And why Lionel Messi missed the penalty and why Ronaldo is going to emerge top scorer and why Nigerian kits are overrated.

 

The administration at our school was kind enough to erect a monster screen at the graduation grounds from where the students catch the evening matches. You should see us gathered there every day from 6 pm; chanting, howling, arguing, fighting, making up, fighting some more. And sharing buckets of beer and bottles of cheap whiskey sneaked in from outside the school because, even though it's not allowed, we're rebels and we're young, wild and free.

 

We were gathered there sometime last week. The Lions of Teranga (I could just have said Senegal but I wanted to sound like I know what I'm saying) were playing Poland and we were all there to support Senegal because they're Africa's best bet after Nigeria - with their fancy kit - misbehaved.

 

Senegal scored the first goal and, amidst the celebration and the rapturous applause and the clanking of glasses, I noticed them. They - a group of about six girls - were right at the front of the screen. They cheered louder and longer than anybody else in that group; their screeching voices of 'Omagaaaad' tore into the silent night like a sharp knife on goatskin but they did not seem to care.

 

For a couple or so minutes there, I stopped watching that match and completely immersed myself into those ladies. I watched them laugh and giggle and point at the screen and debate over names of some of the footballers and get excited at some moves and point at the screen every once in a while.

 

I fell in love with those ladies. I kid you not. Because it's not every day you meet a lady who actually enjoys football and knows the names of all eleven players on the pitch besides just Cristiano Ronaldo because he, occasionally, takes his shirt off.

 

They were not those kinds of ladies who watch football to look at Mesut Ozil and say: "He's so cute" and marvel at thighs of the players. These ones actually knew their stuff.

 

So this one is for those ladies, and any other campus girl who gets out of class in the evening and goes with their boyfriends to watch the World Cup, we love you and we appreciate you. Keep being awesome. And may the Lord spare a nice corner in heaven with high-speed WiFi and Netflix for you.