My Kigali Diary - Day 6: Match Day Blues

Its Match Day! Yippeeeeeee! Friday morning was just as cold as Thursday. But the thought of going to see my darling team, The Super Eagles superseded whatever cold was out there. To be honest though, the cold sha no be here. I always feel feverish every morning and Friday wasn't any different. Anyway, my day was already planned: work on Day 5 of this diary, have a haircut, go to eat at UTC (United Trade Centre- in case you're reading this for first time) to eat, then head to stadium. Number one on the list was done with ease and posted. Cue all the reactions including some people threatening not to allow me go to Ethiopia and Brazil for next set of tournaments. Dem no know anything. Me wa‎y don plan Brazil this July, Gabon next January and Ethiopia in 2020? ‎

Waiting For Light

Salon was next. Emeka and I decided to stroll down there. No, not really, Emeka was going to the Bureau de Change at the airport to get us some Rwandan Francs. At the salon, I was fortunate that the barber could speak English a little. I quickly told him, like I would any new guy using my clipper, that the instrument was faulty. Power button was bad so as soon as it is plugged in, it never goes off except the plug is taken off from socket.  He nodded his head and got to work. A few minutes into the job, power at the salon went off. As a Naija boy, I was expecting the barber to go put on the generator. But instead, dude told me, “Just wait for 5 minutes, the power would be back.”

Barber Working On Clipper

Now that was a new experience. Well, I had no choice but to wait. I turned to twitter to give that update. Next thing I saw, the barber started working on my clipper. He turned to me and muttered a few words. I could barely comprehend what he was saying. At least his gesticulations suggested he was showing me what was wrong with my clipper and that he would fix it. Just then, the power came back on. And as I was about to update on twitter that it was back, it went off again. Came back on and off a few times before it finally settled. Finally, I had the haircut and was ready for match day. 

By the time Emeka and I got to the hotel, our other colleagues were ready to go to the stadium. In fact, we met Toby (who's reporting for the LMC), Kisu (who's with The Cable), Charles (New Telegraph) and Elebute (Freelancer) at the hotel gate trying to get a motor bike. I dashed to the bathroom to shower. It turned out every other person was practically waiting for me to be ready. That feeling when others think you're the 'woman' who's wasting their time can be such a terrible one. Hahaha! Well, I tried to be as fast as I could so I wouldn't be tagged the 'woman' of the group. 

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Cab Guys At Kigali Airport

‎Kelechi, Emeka, Rotimi, Julius (Who's with The Nation/Sporting Life) and I were finally ready to head for the Nyamirambo Stadium by a few minutes to 1 pm. When we got the gate, the bike men there insisted on taking 1500 Rwandan Francs. For the same trip wey we dey enter 1000 or 1200 every day? Na Craze dey worry dem!

Reminds me of the night I landed at the Kigali International Airport. First, I went to the Bureau de Change just outside the airport to get some Rwandan Francs (RWF). With a dollar changing for 760 RWF, I decide to change 60 dollars for a start. I got just over 45000 RWF. For my mind I dey think say I don get better money. Reality started dawning when I bought an MTN Sim for 1500 RWF(about 400 naira) and was told I would need about 8000 RWF (about 2500/3000) airtime for data subscription. Then the cabs refused to take anything less than 5000 RWF (about 1500 naira) to take me to Grilla Hotel. I finally found one who accepted 3000 (about 1200). Guess what? Distance from airport to hotel wasn’t more than Ojota to Ketu or Rumuokuta to Rumuola Under Bridge. E no even reach sef!

Press Match Tickets

With that experience, we didn’t even bother with the bike men at our gate. We just trekked down the hilly slope to the junction. We did get a bike to the stadium half way into the trekking for 1200 RWF (about 300 naira). At the stadium, I quickly went to get my match tickets – not the normal ones for fans but ones that would give me access to the media mixed zone where players come after the game as well as the major press conference. With that done, I went down to the restaurant across the Stadium. As I got there, I saw Kelechi, Emeka and Rotimi were already ‘razzling’ two babes.

Me? I wasn’t so interested joor. Hungry dey catch me. I ate. Stayed a while and went back to the stadium. The Super Eagles were already out for training. Just then, my heartbeat increased. For the Niger game, I wasn’t so perturbed. But having watched Tunisia live in the first game, I knew they would be our biggest threat in the group. More so, paying for a new apartment was also dependent on us topping the group like I noted yesterday.

Anyway, when I saw starting the line-up with Chisom Chikatara in the first 11, I wasn’t as confident as the tension increased. Good thing is he did get a goal and of course increased his popularity as we managed a point from the game. The amount of love Kolanut boy received at the press box was just amazing. In fact, at the pre match presser a day before, a Tunisian journalist told Kelechi and I he had been mandated by Tunisian club Esperance to get Chikatara’s contact. Good luck to him!

Press Stand, Nyamirambo Stadium

After the game, I decided to go the Mixed Zone while my CoolWazobiaInfo colleague Kelechi went to the general presser. It was really fun finally getting to be in a mixed zone at an international competition. This trip for me was all about getting that experience and it’s been a worthwhile trip. I was able to talk to Man-of-the-Match Osas Okoro, Austin Oborakpor (who I secured an exclusive lifestyle interview with for a later date), Paul Onobi and coach Sunday Oliseh.

Rest of the day went smoothly. Hurriedly sent unedited audio of all interviews to the CoolWazobiaInfo group; called into the Nigeria Info PH studio; watched the first half of Guinea vs Niger and then left for UTC to go have dinner with Toyosi and his troublesome cameraman Emmanuel. As we were discussing over dinner, events of the previous night at the bar came flooding.

Super Eagles Training Before Facing Tunisia

“Do you know how we won the 2013 AFCON?”

“Do you know the referee for our last group game against Ethiopia was changed by CAF twice?”

“How on earth could Keshi start bragging about AFCON win when some underground work was actually done to aid that championship victory?”

“Why would the minister's PA be tweeting stuff from a supposed close door meeting?”

“Do you know Sports Minister Solomon Dalung and Chris Giwa were former colleagues?”

“Is the supposed peace meeting a plot against Amaju Pinnick?”

Those were some of the questions members of my crew asked as we sat down at the bar adjacent to Eden Resturant were we had just had dinner. Clive our Ugandan friend was the odd man out. Odd cos he was only one not drinking beer and more odd cos na pidgin we been dey speak. Although he tried to grasp a bit, we seemed just too fast for him. 

I decided to try something I hadn't taken before. So I went for Mutzig. Kelechi and Toyosi ordered for Heineken while Emeka went for Tusker. Funny enough, none of us had more than one bottle. But for two hours or there about, some of the dirty secrets of Nigerian football were laid bare on our table. I'm sorry, I can't reveal anything here. I no go fit pay for libel when dem come for me. Make una no vex. 

Fiona called in the middle of our discussion. Have to say it felt good hearing her voice again‎. I asked where she was and she said home. Then she asked if I would take her out. I was already out so I told her she could come join us where we were. As I was giving her directions, Emeka interjected and said she shouldn't come alone ooo. She then promised to come with her “beautiful” cousin. See how boys face light up when I relay message? Kai! 

With Fiona

We waited for more than an hour that Thursday evening expecting to see Fiona and her supposed beautiful cousin. When we just couldn’t wait anymore, we all decided to retire. Five minutes after I got to the hotel, my phone rang. It was Fiona on the line.

‘Hello Ufuoma, I’m about to start coming,” she said.

“Sorry darling. We've already left the bar. I am at my hotel now.”

“Oh, ok. Can I come to the hotel to meet you?” ……..

To be continued…..

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My Kigali Diary is my account of activities of my coverage of the 2016 Africa Nations Championship in Rwanda. Today's blog is Day 6, Friday 22nd January. Two other blogs have been written before this. You can catch up just below...

-Ufuoma