Can this Rivalry be Resolved? I have never understood the hype around soccer. I am sure it’s a great game for many and I admit there are times when I have shared the excitement while watching a game. What I don’t understand is why the excitement has to go on long after the game has ended. Sure it was a great game and that goal that Wayne Rooney scored was just superb, but must it go on five hours later? This is a game that has united so many people yet it’s still nothing short of an obstacle for others. Let me explain that. In some relationships, women love the game just as much as men do. Come the soccer season, these couple sit comfortably at home and enjoy the series of matches. Even better, they invite a couple of friends over, get some snacks and beer and have a great time. It turns out that such are the envy of many friends. However, find a man whose girlfriend or wife hates the game; then that’s trouble! For some people, the world cup sounds like a ticket to heaven. Whoever started this ‘thing’ is a genius! Nothing can come between them and their soccer game, except that one little thing called a girlfriend or wife! Some people might not agree but it has happened that guys are dumped because of their undying love for soccer and, it’s still happening. We all know that world cup is a grand phenomenon, but some women feel that it is literally overstepping its’ boundaries. Maureen Namugerwa, a boutique owner around the city, has been married to Stephen since 2005. “I love my husband, but during the soccer season like Champions league, the Premiership and most especially World Cup, I can’t help but feel the love dry out of me,” she said. “He practically watches every game, the highlights and even when commercials are on, he still won’t let you change the channel.” Maureen insists that this might just be the worst time in her marriage. “He can’t stand it when I watch the ‘Desperate Housewives’ series, so he complains throughout the entire thing that I hardly enjoy it. But when it comes to soccer I am not supposed to make a sound. He will speak of the game even in bed untill he dozes off. We hardly communicate properly during this time!” she said. Some guys think that by watching the game out of home, they’re doing their ladies a favour. However, some women see it as an excuse to spend time away from them. Linda Umutesi, a teller at one a supermarket, says her boyfriend has never watched a single match at home. Even though she’s not a soccer fan, she tries to get into the ordeal simply for the sake of her boyfriend. Unfortunately, he would rather watch the game with his ‘boys’ than with her and this has always bothered her. “He insists it’s nothing personal,” Umutesi says, “but I can’t help but feel left out.” By the time her boyfriend comes back home, she’s just does not feel his vibe. “Sometimes I wonder whether I am the problem and maybe he’d rather be with someone else. I am not asking for much, I just want to know what is so special about soccer that he can’t even watch one game with me,” she adds. Several women feel threatened by the World Cup, even though it comes only every four years. Couples find themselves fighting more during this time than any other time in their relationship. If women are not complaining about the guy being selfish with the television, they are complaining about him spending every second away from home, reason being football. Some men are lost for a solution and just decide to do what they find fit. Umutesi says she’s had it with her boyfriend and is considering other options. Whereas Namugerwa has decided to sleep in a separate room during this period because if she has to listen to Stephen ramble on about soccer when she gets back home from work, all the way to bed when she’s trying to get some sleep, she might lose her mind and do the unthinkable! Cjanzi83@yahoo.co.uk
