African Cup of Nations

Well, it was fun whilst it lasted!

Unfortunately Zambia were knocked out of the African Cup of Nations this evening - they failed to win a game or qualify past the group stages. Despite the outcome, I enjoyed watching them play with the Zambian fans. I managed to catch some of the games here in Kaniki. Not at the local pub since this would have been frowned upon – there is quite a different culture and attitude to drinking here (alcohol is associated with people who are permanently drunk).

Most of the students from the college, who we share the site with, set up a projector to watch the action on a huge screen across the wall of one of their lecture rooms. Rosie and I were invited and fed popcorn. There was a great atmosphere. I think anyone else nearby might have thought that Zambia scored numerous goals. Unfortunately the ball only reached the net twice during three matches! The celebrations were hilarious though. Nearly all the students suddenly jumped out of their seats, some darted around the room, and others whistled or screamed. Of course we Brits clapped and cheered too in our own polite way.

Zambian Team

Occasionally when the digital TV signal was lost and the picture blurred, it was switched over to Zambian TV. The commentary was much quieter and harder to hear and it looked a bit like a programme from the 1980s, with a brown tinge over the screen!

The scores on the doors were:

Zambia vs Congo 1 - 1

Zambia vs Tunisia 1 - 2

Zambia vs Cape Verde 0 – 0

By the last game, it looked unlikely that Zambia would qualify but it was still a possibility. Hopes were high and lots of shouting ensued. Watching the game with the students was definitely more enjoyable than the 0-0 result suggested. Clearly the students were disappointed but I was impressed that they kept a positive attitude.

Apparently the students play sports on Wednesday afternoons, which we have been invited to join. Let’s hope their fun and positivity remains, even if we’re not very good, as it will be volleyball or football rather than my usual sport of netball!

Me and Rosie
(Going out for a curry in town - the first time we've both had properly straightened hair!)