TEARS IN MY EYES
In March 2022, Cameroon had to play Algeria home and away for the final of the 5 allotted spots for African teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The first game was on March 25 at the Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon. The match ended 0-1 in favor of Algeria. The return leg was 4 days later in Algeria and Cameroon needed a victory and score at least 2 goals. 22 minutes in, Eric Choupo-Moting put Cameroon in the lead. That was the only goal score in the 90 minutes of regular play. Extra time was needed to decide who’d be going to Qatar. Extra time is 30 minutes split in half. Algeria scored in the 118th minute and before the fans in the stadium and across the country could finish celebrating that goal, Karl Toko-Ekambi scored for Cameroon with only seconds left in the game. The final score was 2-2, but Cameroon qualified because they scored 1 more goal in Algeria than Algeria did in Cameroon. This is known as the ‘Away Goals’ rule which is used to settle ties. Cameroon had done it; they’d qualified for the World Cup.
The draw for the World Cup happened on April 1st at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha. Cameroon was placed in Group G with Serbia, Switzerland, and Brazil. Now any football fan will tell you that Brazil is one of the best football countries in the world and they always come with the best stars. Also, there is some sweet history between Brazil and Cameroon.
The World Cup is the biggest competition in the world for countries. It’s so big, it only happens every four years. The first world cup I watched was the 1998 edition held in France. I was 5 years old. I always wondered how it was like to watch the games live, be among the fans, and cheer on your country. I’ve attended many games as I’ve gotten older but never that magnitude. When I saw that Brazil would be playing Cameroon December 2nd 2022, I knew I had to be there. Some of the heroes from when Cameroon won the 2017 African Nations Cup where on the team, (Benji’s Men) so this was another opportunity to see them.
The World Cup usually takes place in the summer but due to the scorching weather in Qatar during the summer months, it was moved to November and December when the temperatures would be more suitable for the games. My friend, Priscilla did most of the planning and research. She’s good at this kind of things. I just told her to let me know what we’re doing, when it’s happening, and how much I had to wire to her bank account. The travel party was priscilla, her dad, and me. Since we planned to only attend 1 game, we decided to stop in Dubai for a few days and then head over to Doha on December 1st, the day before the match. Unfortunately, Priscilla and her dad could not make the trip. This was because she got a new job and had to move. I was sad, but extremely happy for her.
Now I had to travel alone because I didn’t see myself not going on the trip. Luckily, my dad had finally rearranged his schedule to also attend the match. My sister too, who was in Cameroon at the time also wanted to attend the match. We quickly sorted out arrangements and got an Airbnb in Dubai.
I flew out of New York on November 27. It was a 12-and-a-half-hour flight which would arrive the next morning around 8 am local time. Shout out to Emirates Airlines for broadcasting the World Cup games on the flight. It was a very smooth flight aboard the Airbus A380. The food was good too.
I was in Dubai for 3 days and on December 1st, I left for Doha. It was a one-hour flight. The plane was filled with fans from Costa Rica. They had a game that night and they were in high spirits the entire plane ride, singing and chanting.
After getting through security at the airport, I made my way to the train station. All the stadiums were connected by the rail. Lusail Stadium was where Cameroon would be facing Brazil and it was the last stop on the train. The hostel was advertised to be a 5 minutes’ walk from the stadium. I got off the stadium and as I made my outside, there it was, the incredible Lusail Iconic Stadium. It was magical. Bigger than what I saw on tv. After taking a few shots, I started the “five” minute walk. Not going to lie, it took me almost an hour because all I had was a picture of the place. My phone map was only so useful. I walked to two wrong buildings. I was exhausted by the time I arrived. Funny enough, the stadium was indeed in sight and walking distance.
My old man arrived a few hours later and we went out to the town center. That’s where all the fans were. It was beautiful. The patriotism on display was incredible. The city was very colorful.
The flags of all the participating nations were displayed on the streets and fans stopped to take pictures. After walking around, we grabbed some food and sat to watch the 10 pm game. By halftime I was tired, and I left and went to bed.
The next morning, the exploring continued. We wanted to see Doha by day, eat, and get souvenirs because that was the only opportunity. By the time we got back to the hostel, my sister had arrived. We all got ready and made our way to the stadium. I had on a white Cameroon jersey and a white Keffiyeh with flags of Cameroon which I bought earlier in the market wrapped around my neck.
It was about thirty minutes to kick off when I got in. The players from both teams where on the pitch going through their warmup routines. I spotted some of my favorite players on the team; the captain Vincent Aboubakar, Collins Fai, and Andre Onana. The players cleared the field to go change and that’s when the ambiance started. Music and lightshows kept us entertained.
The referees led the players back out on to the field. The national anthems of both nations were played. I only know a few lines of the Cameroon national anthem. I hummed the rest of it. The game kicked off and there was a roar in the stadium. The game was very tight, but Brazil had most of the clearer cut opportunities to score.
It was still goalless at halftime. I remember a fan, late in the second half say, “I flew all the way from London, and I won’t even see a goal?” I wanted to turn to the fan and say cry more, but I opted to mind my business. As the game marched towards full time and with some fans already making their way out, twenty-four-year-old Jerome Ngom Mbekeli, who’d only been on the field for five minutes having entered as a substitute, crossed the ball from the right-hand side of the field into the penalty area and the beautiful head of captain Vincent Aboubakar was there to meet it. The ball hit the back of the net. GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
I couldn’t believe my eyes, I stood up, yelled, screamed, danced, and celebrated. I was very emotional. I was waving my flag very high and might. In that moment, that very small moment, I was happy. Nothing else mattered. I used the Keffiyeh to wipe the tears in the eyes. The match ended 1-0. Cameroon had beaten Brazil. One of the Brazilians fans came to me and ask if we could swap jerseys. I agreed and we took a picture together.
I returned to the hostel, grabbed my things and got an Uber to the airport.
Dreaming of something and actually making it happen are two very different things. I’ve always dreamt of attending a world cup match, but never thought it’d happen to me. On the 12-hour flight back, I reflected on the whole experience. It was memorable. The people of Qatar were very friendly, the food was fantastic, and the vibe in the country was top notch. I am glad I made the trek to Qatar, and I am happy I was at a game that my country won. Even though we did not qualify for the knockout stage, it made the six thousand miles journey bearable. Like my little brother always says, “work hard, but enjoy harder.”