Sounds unbelievable, but it does happen in Bongo

Saturday, January 18... We’re at Budget, a drinking and eating place in one of Dar’s leafy suburbs. It’s a bit too costly for the likes of me, with a beer going for a whopping Sh3000.

That, against the 2k or even less, you’re charged for Bongo’s mainstream brands at Wa Muyanza’s kind of bars!

But, maybe, there’s some justification for the extra thou, for Budget has class. The clean washrooms, mirrors and toiletries give you, the patron, a feeling that you’re important even when you really aren’t.

A CAF Championship League match is ongoing at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, pitting Bongo’s Young Africans (Yanga) against CS Alger from Algeria. It’s a must-see match.

I’m a neutral soccer fan (ahem!), but my drinking buddies, Uncle Kich, Ndugu Esaya,, and Braza Kay are all diehard Simba loonies.

We’re all seated together, watching the Algerians battle it out with our boys. The Arabs aren’t so keen on attacking.

They’re concentrating on defence because, to them, a 0-0 draw would give them 9 points, leaving the Jangwani Street outfit behind with 8.

From your careful estimation, there’re more Yanga fans here than those of Simba SC who—as we sit here and drink—have already qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup.

They’re therefore so relaxed ahead of their match tomorrow against CS Constantine, also from Algeria. Being typical of Wabongo, Simba fans are cheering the visiting team.

“Why are you cheering the Arabs? You should show patriotism!” I say to Braza Kay.

“Hakuna cha uzalendo hapa... .. uzalendo wangu ni kwa Taifa Stars, basi!” he says with a wickeded grin on his face. Uncle Kich shares Braza Kay’s sentiment.

Ndugu Esaya is divided between supporting Yanga, the home team, and MC Alger.

He says, “If Yanga qualifies for the quarterfinals, I’ll celebrate with them, but if they lose, that’ll be their own problem!”

Soon, the 90th minute is getting closer. Yanga fans are getting very uneasy. The “unpatriotic” fans (read Simba fans) are rejoicing the miserable situation their watani are going through.

A drinker not very far from us choked when a Yanga striker missed “an obvious” scoring chance! When he recovers, the dismayed Yanga fan utters an unprintable epithet against the “hopeless” striker.

During the extra-time (7 minutes), Yanga fans shout like mad, urging their players (like they believe the players can hear them via the TV screens in front of them!) to play harder.

At the same time, Simba fans are encouraging MC Alger goalkeeper Toufik Moussoui to waste time by not releasing the ball to the field after making a save. “Lala Mwarabu, Lala!”

To cut a long, painful story short for some, with the final whistle, the verdict is a 0-0 draw, marking a cruel end for Yanga’s CAF Champions League 2024/25 campaign. Braza Kay orders us an unscheduled round of beer to celebrate.

“The Jangwani braggarts’ mouths have been shut!” he says gleefully.

Just imagine. Locals celebrating the humiliation of a local team by a foreign team! Only in Bongo, isn’t it?