Safety precedes the Heat Cup | Sports | '
Marcel Tisserand shuffled heavily in the direction of the team bus. For almost an hour, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's international sat down with his colleagues in the cabin after the African Cup tie against Uganda. 40 degrees air temperature had been measured in the stadium. "We were totally exhausted, we drank a lot, water with minerals, lots of vitamins, it's hard to play here," said the defender of VfL Wolfsburg.
The son of a Congolese father and a French mother plays since 2016 in the Bundesliga. First for FC Ingolstadt, since 2017 for VfL Wolfsburg. While most of the time he was only a substitute in Wolfsburg, the 26-year-old is a fixture in the Congo, as he did two years ago at the last Cup in Gabon.
European legionnaires are not used to the heat
Tisserand had lost 2-0 on Saturday at the International Stadium in Cairo with his team against the underdog from East Africa. The first tournament surprise. While the Congolese almost invariably competed with European legionnaires in the cocoon of Cairo, Uganda's players are still largely from the domestic league. "We played extremely badly, but we were probably more exposed to this unfamiliar heat than our opponent," said Tisserand.
The heat is a big issue at the Africa Cup in Egypt. Nigeria lost to Samuel Kalu in his first group game on Saturday against Burundi (1-0), who had collapsed during practice training the day before because of dehydration. While the organizers want to make the tremendous heat bearable by playing three three-minute breaks during the games, the Fifpro footballers' union demands: "The health of the players is endangered, with at least four breaks during the matches."
Multiple home advantage Egypt
Especially tricky are the games, which are scheduled to 16.30 clock in the afternoon. "Of course that's questionable, but that's where all the teams have their problems," says Tisserand. Whereby he is not quite right, because host Egypt never plays earlier than at 21 o'clock – home advantage.
Empty ranks, big heat. Bundesliga player Tisserand (r.) In the game against Uganda
Another topic in Cairo is the enormous security package put together by the organizers. Officially, about 100,000 security forces to protect players, officials and spectators from possible terrorist attacks. There are many more feelings. Fan riots in football stadiums caused a total of around 100 casualties in 2012 and 2015. A few weeks ago, an explosives attack was launched near the Pyramids of Giza. The fear of an act of violence during the tournament is omnipresent.
No step is possible without the observation of armed soldiers, orange-robed security guards, white policemen or state security suit carriers. At the opening match between Egypt and Zimbabwe, the stadium area was cordoned off three and a half hours before the start of the match – no more getting through. Tickets were only in advance and online to purchase. In the stadium itself the guard is complete. The organizers proudly announced a complete surveillance by cameras: "Every visitor is scanned and can be tracked at every turn."
Empty stadiums – except …
So many do not have to be watched. With the exception of the sold-out opening match, the viewer's interest is disappointing. Around 1,000 fans were counted in each of the three games on Saturday. The cheapest ticket costs ten euros, which hardly anyone can afford. So the cup is increasingly becoming a TV event. Where the private spectators in Egypt look in the tube, because the games can only be seen on pay-TV. So the tournament gets in the capital Cairo to a huge public viewing event. At least when Egypt plays.
The mood is relaxed and so far only positive. However, the local fans expect nothing more from their team than the title win. At the center of their hopes is Mo Salah. The attacker from Liverpool FC has become the icon of Egyptian football. He is worshiped by the football-crazy Egyptians as a savior and is omnipresent in Cairo. His portrait decorates countless billboards, in the supermarkets his face emblazoned on every second product – sportswear, detergents, biscuits, coke, milk, mobile phone contract – Salah sells everything better.
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