SUPPORTING your national team can be done through various ways, among them celebrating and embracing each moment with people who share the same enthusiasm in sports. This can be done with friends and relatives at home or at restaurants.
With open arms, restaurants in Saudi Arabia welcome football fans to come and watch matches. Restaurants and cafes were last Sunday exceptionally busy as people amalgamated to watch Saudi Arabia play Iraq in the finals of the AFC Asian Cup.
Football has been and continues to be the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia. Women are also big fans and enjoy watching football matches and cheering their national team.
Arab News visited several restaurants and coffee shops to meet Saudi fans during the recent Asian Cup, especially when Saudi Arabia beat Uzbekistan 2-1, Japan 3-2 and in the final when Iraq beat the national Saudi team 1-0 giving them their first defeat of the tournament.
Prior to matches, many restaurants were fully booked two days in advance. This was especially the case on the day of the finals. While some restaurants allowed advance bookings, some restaurants such as Casper and Gambini’s in Al-Andalus District of Jeddah operated on a first come, first serve basis.
Although most people who live in the Western Region stay awake late at night and sleep during the day, people made an exception last Sunday. Restaurants and coffee shops were jam packed in the afternoon. “We were lucky to find seats here,” said Farah Al-Sulaiman, who with her friend Abrar Sindi had come to watch the finals at Casper and Gambini’s. “It’s different, it’s more lively to watch it with people, unlike sitting alone at home,” said Al-Sulaiman.
Mada Habhab arrived at the restaurant with some white and green face paint for herself and friends. She soon ended up painting the faces of other ladies and children at the restaurant.
At Chilies the atmosphere was different. The crowd became upset when they learned that they would only be able to watch the game and not listen to the commentary. People complained and the restaurant put the volume on.
As the Saudi national anthem was sung at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, fans in restaurants and coffee shops across the Kingdom joined in. A family of around ten members sat in Chilies enjoying the game. The boys were wearing Saudi football tops and had draped green Saudi scarves around their shoulders. During the match they left their chairs for around 10 minutes and returned with their hair sprayed green. One of them inserted two small flags in his green colored Afro hair, while the others waved and cheered with their flags.
“The Saudi team is not performing as well as in previous matches,” said Khalid Al-Hefni, 14. “The players are not keeping to their positions. They’re distracted. There was a bit of violence during the match, this has probably something to do with it,” he said, adding that even if the Iraqi team wins then he would be happy, as both teams comprise Arabs, who speak the same language.
“We were weak in the first half of the match. The Iraqis were in control of the ball in that half but I still hope Saudi wins. I’ll wander the streets of Jeddah celebrating if they win,” said Ahmed Al-Ouri, 16. Al-Quori added that he likes to watch important Saudi matches in restaurants or coffee shops rather than at home. “It’s more exciting to see matches with other people in the same place cheering with me,” he added.
Fans’ expectations of Saudi Arabia clinching the cup were very high, especially among people at Senses, a popular Jeddah restaurant. The atmosphere was vibrant, even though the Saudi team did not score a single goal during the match.
Many restaurants reported a high attendance of women. “This is really exciting,” said Bateel, a 16-year-old Saudi girl. Bateel said the Saudi team’s performance in the Asian Cup was better than what it played in the previous year’s World Cup. “If they win, we’ll celebrate across Jeddah, if not we’ll go back home but we’ll still be happy for Iraq,” said Bateel. Her friend Rafeef, 18, agreed.
“We want to experience the excitement. Since we couldn’t attend the match live in the stadium in Jakarta, visiting a restaurant is the second best thing to do,” said Omar Abulfaraj, a 25-year-old Saudi fan.
Dareen Halawani, 20, said she enjoys visiting restaurants during matches. “These gatherings are like family gatherings where we all meet for the same purpose,” she said, adding that the Saudi team performed well during the tournament.
While some people attend matches at restaurants and coffee shops as a way of breaking from their routines, others feel watching Saudi Arabia play is a patriotic and national duty, said Halawani. She added that she would continue supporting the Saudi team “no matter what.” “Because they represent my country,” she said.
As Iraq won the tournament, Jeddah streets seemed gloomy. However, some fans could still be seen waving Saudi flags from their cars, celebrating the fact that the Saudi team had managed to reach the finals in the least.
