(Portuguese) Football fever in Mindelo

Last week I spent some time in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, an appealing little city distinguished by its quaint local charm, colonial history, live music and vibrant Cape Verdean culture. On Sunday, the talk of the town (at least for the male half of the population) was the last round of the Portuguese Premier League, with three teams (FC Porto, Benfica, and Sporting) all having the chance to become Portuguese champions.

I already knew that there is a significant football interest in Cape Verde, but I must admit that I was a bit surprised to see the proportions it all took.

For many, the build-up apparently started long before the actual game, and already at lunchtime I had spotted quite a number of more or less intoxicated young men walking the streets, waving distinctly colored flags and garments, chanting away at something that remotely reminded of some kind of football hymns.

Sitting on my hotel balcony enjoying some afternoon sun, I overtly overheard the roars of joy and despair from nearby local bars and apartments, as the games commenced. Apparently, all three football clubs enjoy a fair amount of support among the locals, although I could not tell for sure which team was the more popular.

But when FC Porto eventually emerged as the triumphant team, winning the championship trophy, the party was ON. Honking cars all around the city in never-ending circuits, blue-and-white supporters dancing and jumping in the streets, samba-groups with heavy drumming equipment touring the main square, and lots and lots of ecstatic faces everywhere (the gloomy faces appeared to stay inside). It was as if Cape Verde had won the African Championships.

Personally, although being somewhat of a moderate football fan, I couldn’t care less about who wins the Portuguese Premier League. I remotely follow the Swedish league, and more closely the Swedish national team, but football leagues other countries have never really caught much of my attention.

I therefore can’t help being a little curious about where the enormous interest the locals took in this Portuguese event came from. Especially since I have learned that most, if not all, of the Cape Verdeans are immensely proud of their own country, and generally keen to obliterate, rather than generate, any relations with the old colonial power. So why this huge exception when it comes to the game of football? Why is Portuguese football more important than, say French, Italian or Swedish football (OK you don’t have to answer that latter part of the question). How can it be that one of the most common hotel names in the country is “Hotel Benfica”?

The fact is, I don’t know. Perhaps the national football league in Cape Verde is not yet fully developed (although the national team almost made it to the world championships last time around). Or maybe cheering for a Portuguese football team is one of the few still accepted ways of openly showing a close relationship with the former colonial power, without politics becoming involved.

But this seems to me to be rather bleak explanations. Anyone out there, who might read this and have a better idea, let me know.