Ugandans flock to Russia for World Cup

A small, but sizeable number of Ugandans were part of final piece of action of the year’s most talked about sporting event. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Yesterday’s game was the 64th match of a World Cup tournament that has been rated the best ever by Fifa President Gianni Infantino.
  • The soccer World Cup final has the highest television ratings in sport.
  • A small, but sizeable number of Ugandans were part of final piece of action of the year’s most talked about sporting event.

Moscow. It is rated the biggest and most coveted ticket in sport.
Every four years, tens of thousands of fans pay top dollar for that once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch the soccer final of the number one sport on the globe, played between the two best football nations.
Yesterday at the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital of Moscow, 80,000 fans were in attendance to watch the 2018 World Cup final between France and Croatia.

The majority of the fans were naturally from France and Croatia, the two outstanding teams of the competition, but there was also a heavy presence of neutrals and fans of the beautiful game who attended the final for the love of soccer.
A small, but sizeable number of Ugandans were part of final piece of action of the year’s most talked about sporting event.
Among them was Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu who has been an ever-present at the tournament since the second round match between Russia and Spain.

His experience of Russia has been a story to tell for the ages.
“This country is an amazing one,” he told Daily Monitor.
“We have all been amazed by the beauty of Russia, the warmth of the people and the order of a society whose story has never been articulated to the world out there.”

Mr Katuntu added that his expectations of Russia were very different before he set foot at Domodedovo Airport.
Other prominent Ugandans who were at Luzhniki Stadium included Fufa president Moses Magogo.
Mr Magogo arrived in the country in time for the second semi-fnal between England-Croatia and has admired how gates clear in record time before, during and after matches. He is a guest of world soccer governing body Fifa.

“The football is one thing to enjoy but elsewhere I have been amazed at how fans smoothly enter and exit stadia without any drama,” he said.
“There are so many lessons for us (Fufa) to learn as a federation and for football fans to appreciate and adopt,” Mr Magogo added.
Capital Gang host Oskar Semweya Musoke, lawyer Diana Nabuuso a senior associate with Kasirye, Byaruhanga & Co Advocates, Masavu FC chairman Anthony Kimuli and Kibo Media Limited’s Bobkins Kibirige are some of the other known Ugandans who, Daily Monitor established, were at Luhzniki.
Another lawyer Hudson Katumba and women’s football enthusiast and soccer player Jean Sseninde also made it to the final of the 21st edition of the Fifa World Cup.

“When I got my hands on a World Cup final ticket, I immediately forked out an arm and a leg for the air ticket to Moscow,” Mr Katumba, who spent in excess of $2500 (Shs9.3m) for his Qatar Airways flight, said.
“This is an opportunity I seized with both hands because of its historic significance and magnitude.”

On Saturday, Ms Sseninde flew to St Petersburg, Russia’s second biggest city, to watch Belgium beat England in the third place playoff game.
Yesterday’s game was the 64th match of a World Cup tournament that has been rated the best ever by Fifa President Gianni Infantino.
The soccer World Cup final has the highest television ratings in sport. It outstrips the quadrennial Olympic Games, American’s football’s SuperBowl and the annual Uefa Champions League.