LONDON: The opening day of the World Cup coincided with what was widely presumed to be the last day of Ramadan. And as far as the businesses along what’s known as London’s “Arab Street” — Edgware Road — were concerned, that didn’t bode well for business.
“Nobody is coming,” said Ala William, manager of Fatoush, one of the most popular Middle Eastern restaurants in the area. “It’s Ramadan and everyone is tired, so they are all staying at home.”
The story was the same along two blocks of restaurants and cafes. Even the shops selling the gadgets to which many Middle Easterners are so ferociously addicted were bereft of customers.
Almost all the establishments had put up large screens to show the opening match between Saudi Arabia and World Cup hosts Russia. But minutes before kickoff, the seats before the screens remained empty.
“No football today. Nobody is here. Nobody is coming,” said one disconsolate waiter outside the Valentino, an Iraqi-Persian restaurant. He was right. There was no one languishing on the brocade-covered banquettes inside.
“It’s not much of a match anyway,” said Mahmoud Warda, assistant manager of El Arez cafe. “It’s like a contest between a bear and a cat.” He predicted a 3-0 win for Russia.
In El Arez, just as the dying notes of Robbie Williams’ “Rock DJ” were dying away, in walked Aziz Mohammed, Mossab Waheed and Nawab Faraj, three young men from Riyadh just out of university and fresh off the overnight flight to London. They are in the UK for a 12-day holiday before returning to start work.
“The first thing we did was Google where we could see the match,” said Waheed, 24.
But why not watch it at home in Riyadh where coverage is bound to be wall-to-wall?
“Well, we have to take our holidays now and we wanted to be in London because we are also supporting the England team,” said Aziz Mohammed, 24, an information systems graduate. “We watch all the matches in the Premier League, you know.”
Mohammed, a Manchester United fan, is hoping to fit in a visit to the club’s hometown.
Sitting a couple of tables away was 14-year-old Nawaf Al-Shamari, who is on holiday with his mother and older brother, and had the confidence of youth that the Green Falcons would win against Russia — or at least acquit themselves well.
“They are a strong team and will do well,” he said. “It would be better if I were watching the match back home in Riyadh,” he said, looking a little forlorn.
Back at Fatoush, Egyptian Anis Yasin, 54, and his 13-year-old son Simone were supporting Saudi Arabia. Yasin’s sister-in-law, Oksana, is Ukrainian and was backing Russia. Stuck in the middle was Alessandro, Oksana’s Italian husband, who seemed torn between supporting his wife and his host.
Yasin and Simone were also predicting a result of 3-0 to Russia. In the event, it was rather worse. Sadly, the bear crushed the cat pitilessly.
“Just wait until Egypt play Uruguay. And then Egypt vs. Saudi Arabia,” said Yasin, who works as a chef in the Serpentine restaurant in Hyde Park. “Now that will some football match.”
