Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Boys were kicking a ball around in a dusty alley in Karachi’s Lyari while flags of some of the nations competing in the World Cup of football flapped overhead.
World Cup Mania:
The football-crazed neighbourhood of Lyari, also known as “Mini Brazil,” is taking centre stage this year with a mural honouring the game’s top players, including Lionel Messi of Argentina, Neymar Da Silva Santos Junior of Brazil, and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
From a nearby football coaching academy, Waseem Sarbazi said, “The football excitement is so wonderful that it feels like the World Cup has been being played here not in Qatar, but in Lyari.”
Despite Pakistan’s inability to participate in a World Cup, many young people enroll in football academies to train for many hours every day in Lyari, one of the port city’s poorest neighbourhoods. They do this with the intention of competing on a global scale in the future.
Football-related events in Lyari should involve FIFA, Sarbazi continued. There are an unlimited amount of participants and viewers here, so they need to host an event.
Thousands of people gathered in front of huge television screens and loud music to see Brazil play Switzerland last Monday in “Mini Brazil,” wearing the traditional yellow and green uniforms of their favourite team.
One of the academy’s young players, Ashiq Hussain, described the matches as “really powerful matches particularly the Brazil match,” adding that he found them to be inspirational.
“Brazil is probably my favourite sports team. I enjoy Ederson (Santana de Moraes), the goalie.”
When Brazil defeated Switzerland 1-0 to secure their place in the knockout rounds, the crowd exploded into raucous cheers and dancing.
Another fan, Mohammad Yasin, stated, “I went to my job wearing the Brazil shirt, and now at night, I am still wearing the shirt throughout the match.”
“No matter if they win or lose, I will continue to wear this jersey. I have no intention of removing this shirt.”
The victory in that game will bring thousands more spectators to “Mini Brazil” on Friday when the team plays Cameroon. Brazil will win Group G if they tie or win.
If they drop points and Switzerland defeats Serbia, the winner will be determined by the goals scored.
Football is really popular here, according to Lyari resident Tahir Khan. “This excitement bursts up once every four years.”
