Why Uganda can have the most passionate world fan star-news.press/wp

Arsenal Fans in Uganda broke well in early hours this week, outside the video hallway and bars across the country, after the amazing victory over the real team.

The northern London team won 3-0, at home, in the first leg of the fourth-final phase of the Champions League.

Such was passion, joy and adulation shown by the Wednesday of Declan Rice and his free kicks, you would forgive about thinking Arsenal was home.

Whenever he plays club, the eastern African nation knows about it. In addition to Manchester United, they are one of the teams of the English Premier League (EPL) with the highest support in the country.

Church services, crowded fans per tiles red and white, were held before large matches – from the prayers offered for the side that sometimes seems to need Divine aid.

The passion towards Arsenal and other English clubs launched the entire industry in Uganda, and trade and suppliers of the jersey and larger companies targeting their advertising around the results, while for sports betting companies.

“For many years I have covered football across Africa for many years and I can tell you no doubt that Football enthusiasm in Uganda is on another level,” said Veteran’s sports journalist Isaac Mumema.

For Swale Suleiman, Manchester United fans and mechanics I met in the Garage in the capital, Kampali, the excitement lies in the fact that the EPL matches are competitive, fun, and even “a small team can cause anxiety.”

Ugandan Fan Clubs are placed for all top English sides. WhatsApp groups keep debates that cross the hall and bars.

But arsenal fans seem to take to another level – some were arrested for holding winning parades No police notice after winning large matches.

However, this type of fandom also has a much uglier side, and the love of the game sometimes turns on deadly violence as tempera between called supporters.

“Our people naturally joins something wholeheartedly, and Ugandani really love football,” Uganda Association Association, Kyambadde Stone said for the BBC.

“This football fanaticism even strengthened with a young generation because they watch English Premier League from anywhere,” he said.

They can keep up with the results on their phones, but mostly a utility is, and even the most popular village will have an improvised video hall in which fans will be packed for watching matches.

But it was for the funeral for the villagers near Lake Victoria gathered last December last December, to bury the 30-year-old carpenter who was shot dead as he celebrated an arsenal victory over Manchester United.

Speaker after the speaker regrets the loss of John Senyman, who was a rifle all life.

He watched the game in the Video hall in Lukaya – and when they spontaneously cheered from arsenal fans after the final whistle, disturbed his rivals, including protection, allegedly withdrew the trigger.

Earlier in the season, about 300km (186 miles) on the southwestern part of Kabalea, Manchester United fan Benjamin Ndyamuhaki derived the Arsenal fan after the two argued over the results of the epic conflict between Arsenal and Liverpool.

2023. in different parts of the UDRE country – two arsenal fans were killed by fans, a fan of misteriose circumstances after the man had been in stinging wounds after trying to intervene in the fight after Arsenal lost in Utd.

Football violence in Uganda dates back to the 1980s when local games have characterized the throwing of stone and fists between rival fans.

“There have always been cases of violence whenever Express FC and SC Villa – two main local teams in Uganda – have a great derby,” Sports Scientist Lumbuye Linko told me.

But things have become much worse – situational experts curve on fanaticism encouraged gambling, and many men try to earn a living.

In a tragic case a few years ago, the police said that a man was killed by poison after losing money in the bet.

With an increase in internet gambling, it takes only a second to set a bet via app on your phone that brings hope to win large joins.

Games companies have used the anxiety obsession with EPL, by placing the opents for watching in which fans can watch games and put their bets.

Here is a problem of being a beer – with rival fans teasing each other when bets fail.

“With limited job options, many footballs bet as a way to make a quick money,” said Amos Kalwegir, who stopped talking to me in Kampali Street when I noticed him in MAN T-shirt.

“This has become an intense emotional investment that often turns into aggression quickly when football results are not favorable.”

For Mr. Linika, this is all proving corrosives: “Football should make us happy and Western soccer should be a form of entertainment, but here in Uganda turned as a way of living, spoiling fun.”

But Collins Bongomin, a senior officer in one of Uganda betting, said the industry should not be guilty of football violence.

“People don’t have enough knowledge of the management and anger,” he told the BBC, remarked that industrial efforts encourage responsible gambling.

With more than 2,000 actions throughout the country, it also proves the entry for the Government, which has collected about 50 million dollars (40 million dollars) in the tax revenues from gambling last year, lists local media.

Some notice that the deadly rivalry mainly includes Arsenal Uganda and Man fans, suggesting that it has something to do with age and background.

Mr. Liverpool, he said that his team is inclined to attract the older crowds and those who were a little better – with Fanbase Arsenal and Man Utdom drawn out of bad areas.

“We are currently at the top of the premiere league and rarely hear from Liverpool’s fan that are involved in violence,” he said.

Pamela Icumar, popularly known as Mom Liverpool due to her approach to red impaired red, agreed that her colleagues fans knew how to manage their emotions “even when we lose.”

But Arsenal Fan Agnende Katenda had this laughed when I met with them in Kampali – two women are part of a dedicated female following EPL. Mrs. Icumar is even part of the fan’s female club.

For Solomon Kutes, the Secretary of the Official Club Arsenal Supporter in Uganda, drinking in the country is guilty of football violence.

“Some of the fans watch drunk games and become difficult to manage them when their teams lose,” he said for the BBC.

Some suggest that they cheer back to local stadiums and out of bars could be suppressed by hysteria – and assist the revitalization of the Ugandana Premier League.

“The current generation knows only European football. If we invest more in the local league, we could manage to disturb the day to foreign games,” said Mr. Kyambadde, while admitting it suffered from suffering from a bad reputation and a lack of stars.

Former footballer Tom Lwanga, who played for Uganda’s National Team, when cranes agreed to the cranes to the agreed final from Africa in 1978. years.

“We became famous because we played when the stadiums were full. We must return to that era and manage the European football,” he told me at the empty stalls Kampala’s Phillip Omondi Stadium while watching a local match.

Other curves lack of television live shows for the fall of Ugandan league.

Asuman Basalirwa, Chairman of the Ugandan Parliamentary Sports Club, who was also at the Omond Stadium, among those trying to strengthen the local game.

“I am among several representatives looking at local football and we want to see more leaders, even presidents, who come to the stadium to support local teams,” he said.

But for Mr. Kutes, whose love of Arsenal dates back to the player like Nwankwo Cannes and Thierry Henry, the next few weeks are all important.

“Our emotions are high right now. We are where we belong and this is definitely our season,” he said in February.

Although their headset seems to be completed, they are in a strong position to qualify for the first time for the Champions League semifinals at 16 years, as long as the catastrophe in the second leg on Wednesday against Real Madrid.