On Thursday our new friend Muzi took us out to his township of Alexandria to show us his neighborhood. Alexandra is definitely where you feel more like you are in Africa again and away from the World Cup international scene. Folks are hanging out on the sidewalks and in alleyways, the smell of people making dinner is in the air and kids are everywhere playing soccer (or some other street game that involves stacking buckets and trying not to let your opponent knock 'em down).
Muzi takes us to this local spot where he and his friends go to hang out and watch matches. It is a big space. We walk in through this dark foyer that opens up to this expansive space with multiple screens, tons of tables and seating and a large loft with a two-floor bar in the middle. It's four in the afternoon so it's pretty empty, people do work after all. However, the place broadcasts the Italy v. Slovakia game like it's at full capacity. We have to yell and sit close to converse.
The game ends up being a doozy and more folks arrive in the last and best 20 minutes of the game. At every goal, which were many at this point, you can hear reactions of oohs and aahs from the other patrons coming from every corner. When the game ends the few of us in our area are pretty satisfied with the game we've witnessed and equally unaffected by the result. Although Italy going out in the first round is something to talk about, it appears South Africa is a bit deflated by the Bufana Bufana's departure from the tournament.
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