Johannesburg – South African taxis with Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs flags sticking out the windows. A three-kilometer traffic halt outside the FNB Stadium three hours before kickoff. Kids blowing on their sound hoses, their cheeks painted in yellow or black. Fans clad in yellow Cheifa jerseys, traditional hats and skirts.
This was the scene of the stadium moments before the Soweto Derby kickoff.
Indian weddings are quieter when compared to this, and that’s saying much, considering we have a seven-day, multi-city affair.
FNB stadium became a must-visit place for sports fans after the 2010 World Cup, but seeing the magnificence of it in person is a whole other experience. There almost a “don’t mess with me” vibe to the stadium – magnificence with an attitude, I would say.
If rugby was intense, football is fanatical -- in a good way. It is almost like an India-Pakistan cricket encounter in Mumbai.
When the players walked into the field, there was almost a reverential song the fans danced to. "My team, my team," screamed a 10-year-old fan, crossing his arm up in the air as the players walked out. All I did was stare. It was like he was praying.
Sport brings out different emotions in different people. And this was one of those moments.
Cricket fans in South Africa are realistic. Rugby fans are idealistic. Football fans are zealots. They love their teams and they love them blindly.
I spent the entire 90 minutes of the game with a group of Pirates fans, and if I thought the atmosphere was crazy before the game began, it was nowhere close to what it was during the game. Every kick, every pass and every dribble was met with intense cheering. I realised watching soccer in South Africa is a very individual experience. People celebrate and cheer, but they experience the game itself alone. There is no exchange of analysis or thoughts throughout the game.
During the first half, a fan in crutches made his way up Level 5, standing against the glass, trying to take it all in. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t walk without support. He had to be there to witness the game.
Just minutes before half-time, when the Chiefs almost scored, the crowd erupted, and so did I, the adrenalin rush palpable.
The half-time dance, the football tricks and the hotdogs proved that football in South Africa is a cultural experience. It’s a cross section of culture, tradition and sport.
As the second half began, the crowd grew to the point where people began to stand against the glass protection.
“How come there are more people now?" I asked my neighbour. "Oh, South Africans are perennially late,” she replied smiling.
The game might have ended in a 0-0 draw, but that didn’t stop the fans from enjoying every minute of the game.
It’s very hard to be neutral and take in the game. Today, I became a South African soccer fan. I came in knowing just the barebones of the most popular sport here and I am going back, one among the fans.