In the first match, the Egyptians fans literally filled the entire 75k main stadium in Cairo. But when Uganda and DRC played there was barely any local support. Same goes for Nigeria and Burundi who played at a smaller 20k stadium and the stands were empty as hell.
Fans spending million a year to watch/bet on EPL matches but don’t give a hoot about African teams. What a painful conundrum where we see African teams playing on the global stage with poor fans who can’t show any support.
I hope when Harambee Stars take the stage the Kenyan fans will at least number a few thousand so we can give as much support as possible.
I think for most the cost is prohibitive, but we just don’t have a travelling culture add to that some crazy visa requirements for travel within Africa, at times its easier travelling out of Africa than within.
Zero passion, financial ability and our society is geared towards these kind of things.
We don’t even fill local stadiums for our in-house matches. That generation is gone with our parents.
We can fill out bars and brothels though.
Don’t be funny. I spend tens of thousands on flight and return ticket, then I spend triple that on inflated hotel prices and food and entertainment only for Kenya to potentially loose every game while I can stream it in hd or watch in horrible quality on KBC with rubbish commentary. That guy with the gap in the front incisors has been offering commentary I feel like over a century na bado ni piriton.
Have you factored in the costs of travel and accommodation for DRC, Ugandan, Nigerian and/or Burundian fans who would want to travel?
Like it or not, football fans the world over are being priced out of attending live matches. Pia Copa America wameteta sana juu the tickets there are overpriced.
As for local Egyptian support, why would or should they care about going to a match that has next to nothing to do with them?
I was once in a country where we were given free tickets to watch a dead rubber AFCON match but the stadium was still half empty. A few years ago any match involving Nigeria/ Cameroon/ Ghana/ Ivory coast/ Zambia was sure to draw in crowds regardless of where the tournament was being held but thats nolonger the case.
And we shall forever be marveling at the progress of other parts of the world. Africans are inherently short-sighted and envious.
Sports is a vibrant industry but we rather support foreigners. Our backyard clubs are struggling not because they do not have a sponsor, but because we cannot spare 200/- on a weekend to watch a local game. But we can place that on a bet or buy keg, chrome or kibao to watch a foreign league on TV.
The Arabs have invested in sports, even buying some of our own athletes and footballers. The Chinese are also investing in their own, buying the best in the world. The Americans and Europeans, the same thing. The South Americans have a genuine passion for the game and football stadiums are filled to capacity.
Come to Africa and we have all kind of excuses not to go cheer our athletes. Ati oooh, biashara, …ati ooh, kutarushwa mawe…oooh, shiet. We will remain beggars if we fail to see the future.
Do you realize that in most of those countries they are paid in man hours. Job huku Africa ni 8-5 but realistically it is 6-7 juu kuamuka kuenda tao ni 2 hours in traffic so you have to be on the road a few hours prior.
Someone in the UK can take those three - four hours away from work to go watch the game, go back to work and compensate for those hours by working extra hours.
Huku if it is not on the weekend it is a waste of time.