Taifa Stars, you done us proud men!

Yesterday evening 21 hrs East African Time, a soccer game kicked off in Oagadugu, Boukirna Faso.

This narrowish West African nation is perhaps most well known for myth: voodoo. I do remember at one time when I was chatting with a certain diplomat who'd been there on a UN mission who was thoroughly convinced that voodoo really worked there--with several stories to tell. He got really cross with me when I said that was all gogolamba (bullshit in Zamundese language). I don't believe the stuff.

Back to the ball game. It was Bukirna national side against Taifa Stars of Tanzania. It was a repeat match, first having played in Dar es Salaam awhile back where Tz team beat the visitors 2-1. Tanzanian team that played at that first encounter had been a weakling that fluked a win. The team lately has been really hard-swinging, holding Senegal National team to a draw some weeks ago in a home tussle (lost badly during the first encounter in Dakar--understandably because the Senegal cards were well-stacked, especially cheers of home crowd). In a patriotic revolution, Tanzanians led by no less than the Tanzanian President, Hon. J.Ml Kikwete, egged on the boys. And there is also this superb coach, the Brazilian Maximo.

Bukirna didn't know what hit them. Tanzanians commanded the ball all the way from the start whistle, and the hosts did their utmost not to get embarrased infront of their home crowd, therefore literally packed themselves at their goalmouth like sardines in a can.Occasional efforts by the Bukirna attackers ended in frustrating fluid motion of Evo Mapunda snatching the ball and diving with it, pausing down there for a sec, likely uttering a short prayer, "Thanks again, God".

Meanwhile the seconds arm of clock kept sweeping, and things seemed certain to end nil-nil, such a fortress the Bukirna side had built around their goal, hardly anytime did the ball even reached their custodian. The opportunity came though, some five minutes or so before full time. The goal was professional, attributed to attacker Haruna Moshi, to put it simply. It broke whatever reserves the hosts still had, kind of like throwing a stone at the nest of hornets. But nuthin' seemed to matter to the emboldened Taifa Stars. Much to the overjoyed multitude of Tanzanians watching the ball live on Television ya Taifa, The whistle went 3 extra minutes after full time putting the gallant boys of Tanzania 1 up.
Tempers flared. One player from each side got awarded a red card, maintaining things scalar balance. Smelling the kill, Maximo didn't want to leave anything to chance. His effort to urge the boys awarded him with a red card. Tanzanians like me would concur that the red card for the coach, if anything, was like a certificate of achievement.