Alex Bullen
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. It is 48 hours away from the moment of adrenaline, passion, and ambition that defines the beauty of football sports. Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will officially kick off Sunday to open up the floor for 32 teams to battle it out for the global crown. The tournament is expected to be one of a kind—it will be the last World Cup to feature 32 teams; the 2026 tournament will feature 48 games.
The global tournament has a far-reaching sporting fever that grips the attention of fans across the globe, and South Sudan is not spared.
The Bright Stars may not be participating in Qatar games, but the majority of South Sudanese football enthusiasts in Juba have a plan for the fixtures packed across the footballing calendar, which run for around one month.
Alia Kun Alia, who supports the Brazilian national team, has been keenly following the games since childhood. For him, the sight of the yellow tops and blue pairs of shots synonymous with the Selecao is normally a sight to behold. Seeing the South Americans take to the pitch is normally orgasmic for him.
‘‘Brazil is my favourite team when it comes to the World Cup, although of late their performance has been lacking, I believe this time they will come back strong after a long time,’’ Alia says.
Alia, who also supports the English Premier League team, adds, “What I can say is that I just wish them success in advance and hope they come back fit and strong because we have unfinished business in the English Premier League.’’
Kor Madok is another football fan who is apparently going through tough moments. He supports EPL side Chelsea, who have struggled in the domestic league, and is now hopeful that his favourite team, Germany, will heal the wounds with a spectacular performance in Qatar.
“It is a must for us to be part of the Qatar World Cup, and do not think that any football fan would not have any country to support…”So, I am confident that my team can get into the finals and grab the 2022 Qatar World Cup,’’ Madok says.
Unlike Madok and Alia, 48-year-old Mary Agnes is yet to settle on a team, but she is rooting for African countries that perform better this time around. Agnes is a fan of Manchester United, but when it comes to gunning for the global crown and bragging rights, she would prefer the trophy to find its way to African soil.
She says that she supports the Bright Stars, but after they missed the ticket to Qatar, she has her hopes on African teams such as Senegal, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, and Cameroon.
“I will not be a fan of my Man United white players, even though I still wish them success, but my motto as an African woman is Africa first,’’ she says.
Once in a while event
For people like Jokorondo Sudaru, it is normally difficult to religiously follow club games, but the World Cup is obviously irresistible. He still lacks a clue about the team that he will support.
“Of course, we’ll be watching, but I’m not going to say my team is so-and-so, or whatever country we’ll be supporting, most of which will be unfamiliar to us, so I’ll support a specific team on the field for specific games.”
That South Sudan is not featuring in the tournament does not dim the hopes of Alier Deng, who has opted to support Australia because of the inclusion of three players of South Sudanese origin—Awer Mabil, Thomas Deng, and Garang Kuol.
“We have South Sudanese players in the Australian squad, so even if they’re representing another country, I’ll be proud to see them perform well for their team Australia,” he says.
Deng’s sentiments enjoy the backing of Jerimiah Akot Garang, Joseph Abuk, and Mayen Dut Akol, who believe that supporting their compatriots in the Australian team would be the best way to go.
Gamblers scratch their heads
The anxiety does not end with the football fans. Gamers who have made a habit of gambling have another season to pull surprises in the hopes of feeling their pockets.
Lomoro Baguo, a Custom boda-boda rider who is rooting for Brazil to win the World Cup, believes it will be easy to win when someone bets money on games.
“I am a fan of this world cup, and let it come quick because I am going to get some big money from these betting companies,” says Baguo with confidence.
“The English Premier League, La Liga, and other leagues have become the source of wealth for the betting companies. I think we need to try with the World Cup this time,” he adds.
Opiyo Tito, has the same feeling that this will be his reaping season because of what he considers to be “easier games.”
“It is what I have been waiting for; football has just become part of my leisure, so staying for so long without watching such beautiful games is really hard for me,” he said.
“I bet because I just want to pass time.” “And the advantage is that when you are like that, you will really wish not to leave betting in your life,” he says.
Benneth Saki, a 19-year-old better, stresses that the World Cup would make him resume his winning form in betting.
“I have lost my form; I hope this world cup can help me get back on track,” Saki says, adding that he has now won almost two months in a row on betting.
He said he last won a bet at the beginning of September when he won $600,000.
“With betting, it is always 50/50; sometimes you lose a lot and at other times you will get what you are looking for, and that is how it goes,” he adds.
The 2022 World Cup will come at an odd time of the season, running from November to December as opposed to the normal mid-year period when most domestic leagues are in recess.
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