At the African restaurant Biyou’Z, in Consolação, in the center of São Paulo, the game between Brazil and Cameroon, this Friday (2), was the reason for the gathering of immigrants from different African countries.
The Cameroonians wore their tricolor uniforms — in green, yellow and red — and shared reserved tables with people of other nationalities. In one of them, there was a Nigerian, an Angolan, a Congolese and a Brazilian watching the match.
From Guinea-Bissau, Benazira Djoco, 35, journalist and coordinator of public policies for immigrants at the Commerce Workers Union of São Paulo, says that the World Cup game is an opportunity for the African people to gather.
“It’s a time to celebrate, to root for Africa. I’m from Guinea-Bissau, but I’m really rooting for Cameroon. It’s a chance for us Africans to celebrate and show a different image than what is usually shown in the media about Africa .”
In front of him sat two men dressed in Brazilian national team uniforms. Domingos Miguel Maria, 44, a writer, and Garcia Miguel Ndongala, a hairdresser, 50, are Angolan immigrants who fervently support Brazil. Throughout the match, they exchanged provocations with Benazira.
“What a shame! I’m going to have your family brought here! You have to support Cameroon!”, she joked.
João Maria Cabuya, 57, a chemical engineer in Angola and a pastry chef in Brazil, says that, in sub-Saharan countries, it is very common for people to support Brazil in the World Cup. For him, it is a question of representativeness, since the Brazilian team is one of the football powers with the most black players.
João said he was torn between Cameroon and Brazil in the match, but usually supports both. Prudence Kalambay, 41, Congolese artist, was in it. She preferred that Cameroon not play Brazil.
For Benazira, the issue goes beyond representativeness. She claims that she will always root against colonizing countries, and in favor of colonized ones.
Cameroonian Hervé Boyomo, 46, a relationship manager at a hotel in São Paulo, said that if Senegal falls, he will root for France in the tournament.
The first half was lukewarm in the restaurant — few stood or shouted during the match. The break was filled with African music, requested by Prudence, who danced among the tables. In the second half, the temperature rose.
“Not here!”, provoked the African table at every challenge or missed chance by the Brazilian team.
At the request of the report, French teacher Jean Abondo Oyono, 36, chose Aboubakar as the best player in Cameroon. His trust was enshrined later. The number 10 header headed towards the goal and towards the African crowd in Consolação.
Jean climbed into the chair and was screaming in French. Hervé was crying sitting down. Even the owner of the restaurant, Cameroonian Melanito Biyouha, entered the party with a country flag. At the end of the match, even with the elimination, the Africans celebrated their reunion together. They took pictures, played and danced to victory over the Brazilian team.
All around, there were Brazilians who were having fun with the immigrants’ party. Matheus Lopes, 19, a student, was one of them.
He called five friends to cheer at the restaurant and celebrated the Cameroonian victory wearing a Brazilian shirt. He intends to watch Brazil x South Korea, for the round of 16 of the Cup, in Bom Retiro, a neighborhood occupied by Koreans in recent decades.
Cameroon, Ghana and Tunisia fell, but Senegal and Morocco continue to represent the African continent at the World Cup. For some of them, Brazil can also fulfill this role.
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