TB Goes To The Stadium

Moved on! Check TheCairoCalls

Although I usually give the impression of a hard-headed, snobbish kind of intellectual who frets only about the most challenging problems, and the most paradoxical of philosophical paradoxes, I am also an avid football fan. (Yeah, it is football, not soccer, and if you don’t stop using soccer, I’ll start using the British name: footie; you’ve been warned) And as you might have guessed, the levels of my obsession with football are in an all times high now. With the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Egypt, I can hardly keep track of all the matches, results, and news (especially that I have to do such trivial things as work, and so on). But I managed to get tickets for a couple of Egypt matches (very hard by the way); the opening match against Libya, and Saturday match against Cote D’Ivoire.
I know that this post is one week overdue, but you know: better late than never. So here are the photos of all the action of the opening day from the stands(until my camera battery died, my phone memory was full, and the guy next to me refused to give me his phone for a spin). You can’t get that anywhere.


1:30 PM The stadium is still empty, I guess we're early. What are they doing? Are they still painting the lines? Isn't it a little late for that?!! Only in Egypt, sigh






3:00 PM The stadium is starting to fill up. It wouldn't be a full house though. I hope I am wrong. Mounir is playing on the new scoreboards. They look cool!


Our beloved security forces are assuming a new role today: entertainers! The openinng show is played by approx. 5 thousand army soldiers.



4:30 PM Now we're talking


4:45 PM Some troubles at the Libyan stands


5:30 PM the opening is underway!


The marching band is one of my favorites. Their red customes on the new blue track is really cool


Wow! 16 parachautests each with the flag of one country are landing into the stadium. The whole stadium is singing: "Ahom Ahom Ahom El-Masreyen Ahom" ("Here Comes the Egyptians")








The sun ship entering the stadium. That's a real size replica


The Fans:






Let me leave you with some fireworks!






Meet you next match!

Tags: egypt, africa, cup, opening, football, fans, soccer, libya