FA Cup and Champions League Final

I recently climbed the Kilimanjaro. That has nothing to do with football, but actually felt for a moment the old fever return. A friendly englishman was also climbing it, and one of the days, he was eagerly following the scores of the champions league semifinals. I had hardly followed who had played, but when he told me, I happily engaged in a discussion of the possibilities, as well as on some of my many random football anecdotes. For a moment, I was a football fanatic again. I tried to grab on to the fleeing moment, but it left me.

Last weekend, I was in Arusha, Tanzania. Having little to do after a long stroll in the city, I overheard someone say that the FA Cup final was that same day. The teams were Manchester United and Chelsea. Last year I watched a great FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham in Nairobi. Maybe I could watch this final and maybe find that little football mojo again...? I decided to find a nice bar to watch the match.

I would be very nice if I said I found a nice bar. But it was a bar, and they were showing the match. And that was it. No feeling of football mojo as I watch a long boring goalless match between two teams that disappointed me a lot. Only good thing was Drogba's goal, but that deprived me of at least the excitement of pentalty kicks. In spite of this, being an ex-grumpy football fan, I would like to congratulate all Chelsea supporters.

Tonight is the Champions League Final. Liverpool and AC Milan: A repeat of the amazing 3-3 match in Istambul two years ago. Incidentally, I watched that match in a small hotel room in a random north Ghanaian town called Wa. I almost cried when the light went out just as the penalty kicks were starting. That was back in the day when I was young a cool...

If anything, I have good stories with football matches in random places.

I don't know if I will watch the match tonight. Don't feel like it. Should hardly expect something like 2 years ago. Nevertheless, at the same time, a small hope of finding little football mojo was lit inside me on that mountain.