KARACHI: It wasn’t Brazil versus Mexico in the 2014 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night. The contest was between Lyari and Mexico ... well, that’s how the spirited youngsters of area, known as the hub of football in Pakistan, felt as they took out a rally from Cheel Chowk to Kalakot some four hours before the actual kick-off.

There were big screens and projectors to watch the match live, generators to make sure there would be no interruptions during the match and green Brazil flags fluttering everywhere while kids with painted faces cheering for Brazil. “Welcome to Mini Brazil!” said Faizan Jan as he handed people a Brazil flag to wave, too, and join the rally.

“Lyari is known as a place of gang warfare. Look around you. Do you believe that? We are a fun-loving sporting people, who love football,” he said. “See, there is even a Brazil flag fluttering over that famous kite of Cheel Chowk,” he added pointing upwards the famous landmark of Lyari.

“We raised money to arrange for the big screens and projectors and the flags, too. Some of us contributed Rs300, some Rs200 and the rest whatever they could to make this rally possible. Cheel Chowk is our meeting place. We will all gather here before heading off to Baghdadi, Football House in Chakiwara, Golimar, Kala­kot, etc., and return here by midnight to watch the match,” said Shahzad Chaudhry.

“Right now we are only waiting for the dhol wallas to reach here. We have asked them to wear their bright yellow kurtas, which they usually wear for mehndi and mayun occasions but here it carries another significance,” laughed Abdul Ghaffar in a bright yellow Brazil jersey.

“We will all assemble back here by midnight when the match begins so that we can watch it live on the big screens. There is one at Eidgah, which is the biggest in entire Lyari and then there is another at the Sardar Abdul Rehman Park,” said Baseer Ahmed.

On Tuesday, most petrol pumps in the city closed due to a mourning day call by a political party. People were conserving fuel but no one at the Cheel Chowk cared about that as they rode from here to there on their two- and four-wheelers cheering for Brazil.

Anyone cheering for Mexico? The question only prompted loud boos. And what if Brazil lost? “Please big sister, don’t say such stupid things!” The children in the crowd screamed their disapproval.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2014