Ethiopia Vs Bafana Bafana

It’s time for some international football, with Ethiopia’s home match against South Africa as the final round of World Cup qualifiers in the first of two group stages for Brazil 2014.

After their qualification for the African Cup of Nations, Ethiopian football is clearly on the up.

However, this is Ethiopia and it has it’s own way of operating, Ticket scalping has been a problem in the past, so there are no pre-sales. You turn up to the stadium and take your chances. It’s a 4pm kick-off and the gates open at 12.

The National Stadium lies in the north of Meskel Square and seats 35,000. One of my Grade 4 teacher’s Mr Solomon is a fan and gets up in the rain at 6.30am and makes his way to the centre. He’s cold and tired and by 9am he has had enough and asks me to come up and join him.

Ms J, being South African wants to come along and Ginger Warrior who loves most sports is up for it too. Unfortunately both have got chores and child-caring issues respectively, and can’t be persuaded to join me so early.

The stadium and surround are filled with green and yellow wth plenty of chants interdispersed with annoying vuvuzuelas – they haunted me in South Africa for the World Cup 2010. Queue jumpers are leapt on by the Federal Police brandishing sticks and it’s typically chaotic. I’m by an open drain n smells foul, and i’m stuck to the spot for over 2 hours. I am queuing in the VIP section, the only covered stand, and tickets are Birr 500 (about US$25). Most tickets are Birr 100 – 150.

Come 12pm and one of the four available gates open, with two lines feeding into it. Although i am no more than 200 people from the front in my line, it still takes well over an hour to get to the front. At which point Ginger Warrior calls to tell me he is in a cab on the way. Looking back the queue doesn’t look too bad so i tell him he might be in with a chance. Unfortunately GW fails to get a ticket and returns home disconsolately.

I’m frisked before purchasing my ticket and head up into the stand. It’s packed and finding a seat is almost impossible. I head right to the back row where a young kid invites me to sit next to him. His father turns out to be a Fed, and many of the seats are taken by army, police and feds. It’s bloody bouncing n rocking.

I am tired, hot and hungry – all i have had is a coffee for breakfast, and i can’t even smoke. There is no food or drinks or indeed bathrooms to be seen.

The players come out for a warm-up and the crowd go bonkers for the players are worshipped. There is cone work going on and stretches and sprints for some 30 minutes, before they run up the tunnel to get ready. There are spectators up trees that over-see the ground and indeed the floodlight pylons.

The South African anthem is respected by silence and the Ethiopian anthem sung with passion and gusto by the players and crowd. And four minutes late, the game kicks off.

Some of the Ethiopian play is quite tidy with neat passing and a few partially successful flicks. But it is the South African team that show better technique and look more dangerous in the middle and final third. Indeed, Bafana Bafana take the lead in the 30^th minute as both myself and the Ethiopian team are caught napping. Not helped by a massive pillar obscuring my view.

It silences the crowd immediately and i’m thinking it’s not looking too promising. But, against all the odds Ethiopia are back in it again after 10 minutes with a well-taken goal volleyed by Kebede from 12 yards out fro a cross on the left. It’s only their second shot on target. The crowd go balmy and the whole stadium is bouncing.

After half time, it is still South Africa that look the better team, although not really testing the Ethiopian goalkeeper. In the 70^th minute there in an innocuous indirect free kick and a South African player heads it into the back of his own net. The crowd erupts and then the Ethiopians try their utmost to wind the time down. It’s rather despicable, with feigned injuries and cramp the order of the day.Not surprisingly the Ethiopian goalkeeper is booked for his antics, and after an additional 5 minutes, it’s all over and Ethiopia win their group.

It’s complete pandemonium in the stadium, but i am keen to try and get out of there. I‘m pushed violently by an army guy who steers me to the gate. Heading into Meskel Square it’s quite full on with vuvuzelas, horns, yelps  and screams. As a novelty ferengi i am getting it in the face somewhat. Most of it is sheer delight, and i am asked to be in several photos and videos. But a couple are a little ore sinister, a boy trying to pick-pocket me whilst a 20 something big guys asks aggressively if i am am South African (despite me wearing my replica Ethiopian shirt) and then asking to see my ID card to verify my nationality.

I walk up to Megananya where onlookers watch and cheer the returning crowds from the stadium. It's like we have won the match ourselves. Girls squeal at me. There is still no transport to get so i walk all the way back home – some 8 – 10 miles.