Senegal vs. The Gambia

Oh my god, what a weekend. So like i said we went to go see the game in Dakar on saturday after class was over. It was kevin, Ian, Aaron, Thomas, Grant, and my self who all went to the game from the training center. A COSing PCV, Brin, kinda got us in touch with Jared who was getting tickets and they were really cheap so we decided to go. We all pile into the Sept Place that we had rented out for the trip and took off for Dakar at around one for a 4oclock kick off. Everyone else was going to go to a beach house for the weekend kinda as a way of chilling and getting away from Peace Corps for a while. We were planning on leaving the game and heading there. We got the sept place driver to agree to meet us where he was going to drop us off after the game and take us. The Drive there was rather busy as there was lots of people going to Dakar and it was rush hour as well. We make it there by about 4 and meet up with the other PCV's who are going all in all were going with a group of about 10 other americans. The line to get into the stadium is huge and we have to wait for about 20min to get in but it was an experience, with everyone all excited for the game and selling senegal shirts and headbands it was really cool. The bay before we go though we get a text message from our security officer telling people to be careful in Dakar as there have been riots there about the power outages that Dakar has been suffering. We didnt think too much of it but we were kinda joking around in the sept place if senegal didnt win, because they had too in order to qualify for the next round of world cup qualifiers as well as the africa cup of nations, that there was going ot be hooligans and a riot. Little did we know.
So we get there and finally get into the stadium after a bum rush of the gate. The group of trainees stay together with an american who is working in Dakar as well as a third year PCV. We all get into the stadium but not into the seating area as its packed and people are rushing the entrance ways to get into the seating sections. Theres no assigned seating so its a free for all once you get in. We passed two gates that led in to the stadium proper that were being closed up by police. They were billy clubbing the shit out of people to get them to get out of the doorway. It was crazy and the game hadn't even started! We keep walking around the inside of the stadium looking for a way in when a bunch of people all rush one doorway and we all jump for it. Japanese subway, wall to wall people. Just pushing everyone along trying to get in and get a seat. While this is going on pick pockets are going to town on us. luckily most of us have all our stuff in our bags or in pocket you cant get into. Kevin and Thomas both lose wallets and money, while someone was trying to get into my pocket for my phone. He didnt get it and i felt proud of myself for that, silly me that wouldnt last. So we get to some seats and sit down to watch the game.
The atmosphere was great, such a great experience, nothing bad had happened minus the wallets and we were all having a good time. No one scores in the first half and i got some great pics of the stadium and the game as well as a nice video of it. The second half starts off with a little more passion and by the 60th min senegal had scored a goal. The place blew up when they scored. It was sooo awesome. there had been drumming and chanting the whole game giving it a truly african atmosphere, but after that it got louder and some flares went off. Really a hell of a time. So that atmosphere changed from ubber jovial to deathly silent when the gambia equalized. Absolutely quiet. there was something like 3 min left in regulation plus about 7 min of stoppage time, but the mood had changed drastically. So the game ends in a draw and shit hits the fan.
The Gambians go nuts cause they think theve qualified for the next round and the senegalese are pissed. The Senegalese players eventually try to head off the pitch down the tunnel and are just bombarded with garbage and bricks. The riot police have to escort the players off with shields up to protect them. once the players had left and a good portion of the fans had left, the remaining fans decided to vent their frustration with their team by dismantling the stadium. They started small with the advertisements by pulling them down and setting them on fire. once they were all gone the started moving towards where we were. Luckily, or so we thought, there was a metal guard in the way of them and us. This was promptly dismantled and used to start breaking up the cement stairs to trow at the police. At this point we decided it was time to beat it. We get out of the seats and in to the inside of the stadium and the mood is completely normal. People selling food and cooking, walking no panic at all. As were leaving though we see aline of riot police running into the seating section we had just left to deal with the rioters. Problem over we thought. we start walking back to where we had been dropped off to meet the ride we were going to take to the beach. Off in the distance we were heading we can see tear gas going off and then people start running in our direction so pete decides its best to head off into the surrounding neighborhoods to try and get around the problem to get to the car. Great idea, everything is fine in the surrounding neighborhoods, life as normal. People cooking dinner and just being chill. So at this point we think everything is fine we'll get to the car and just leave. We get to where the car is and things are getting a little hairy but nothing really bad. As were getting into the car though we can see tear gas going off where we had just been walking and that starts a rush of the rioters our way. We hop in the car to get out of there but its too late really. Were crammed full of toubabs and everyone around us is trying to get into the car to get out of the area. Once they see that were full and not letting them in and that were all white they get pissed and start hitting the car and trying to take our stuff. So unfortunately were heading back against the flow of people running from the tear gas so were going up stream and end up hitting two people and we stop in the midst of chaos. After that we all get out of the car and bolt. The back of the sept place opens and someone says get out the back and i hop out and am in the think of it. All sept places are station wagons and i was in the far back. as soon as im out people are grabbing me and trying to take my bag with all my stuff in it. I try as long as i could to hang on to it but with so many people trying to take it and not wanting to fall to the ground fighting for my stuff i just let go and bolt. My stuff is replaceable, im not. Getting my ass kicked over a camera, phone, wallet and money didnt seem like a good idea. So i dart and get about 100yards away and realize im all alone and theres no one from my group around me. Quite possible one of the scariest moments in my life. Middle of a riot in a foreign city, oh yeah this was our first trip to Dakar, with absolutely no money or means to get in touch with anyone. Right as im about to really start to panic grant is running towards me in the exact same situation. ew make eye contact and relief spreads across our face. were kinda being ushered away from the center of the riot by locals who are actually trying to help. Some of these guys were trying to get Grant and I to take cover in a tent to get out of sight. Luckily Grant spots some of the others from our group heading off in another direction and we take off trying to catch up with them. It was a lucky spot had he not seen them we would have been completely cut off from our group with no way to get in touch with anyone.
Everyone around us is telling us not to run and to calm down so as to not make the situation worse. All in french of course so im guessing at most of that but hand gestures are fairly easily read.we Catch up with our friend who are taking shelter in a tin roofed shack right in front of the Senelec building.
Senelec is the power company in senegal and the recipient of most of the rioting the previous couple of days. Needless to say in front of their building, rocks were pouring down on the tin roof liek rain. As i said people were helping us and id say more people were trying to help us then hurt us it was just crazy. One of group got hit in the head with a rock but was fine, just bandaged up. We realize at this point were down three people from the car, Thomas, Ian, and the americans(jenny) roommate. This is when we start trying to get in touch with etienne and chris hendrick, the security officer and country director. While pete is doing that we are calling thomas and Ian and luckily get in touch with them. The same thing happened to them as they were in someones compound right by where the spet place hit the people. They were fine and safe so the only person missing is jenny's roommate a Italian who name escapes me now. He was fine but had booked it to the embassy after helping get the car off he guy we had hit. We didnt hear from him till later in the night though.
So eventually the rocks abate a bit and 4 stern looking riot cops roll up on us and our protectors. We tell them that were short 3 members of our group but 2 are in a compound down the road towards where we had come from. We head out of our shack and back into the scene. It was right next to a divided highway and there was tires burning in the road pretty close to us. Right after we emerged, a big truck full of riot cops flys by us rolling over the burning tires and the only thing i could think of was how scared the riot cops looked.
One of the original cops who found us walks with us back towards the sept place to find Ian and Thomas and luckily they come out and meet up with us. We head back the way we had come from our hideout and start taking some rocks again and the cop tells us to get back into the residential area behind where the senelec building was. we duly oblige him go that way. Behind the building was a residential street where a bunch of people were taking refuge. THere was some americans and fernch girls who were back there as well and we all got ushered into a nice looking house with a big iron gate. We end up staying here for a good couple hours as we regroup and count our losses. Grant and I were really the only people who had stuff taken from us out of the sept place thankfully. Jenny had her bag taken and her phone, money and keys were gone. She had no way of getting in touch with her roommate so was a little worried about him.
We basically chill and recap what had just happened. It all went by really quick and was kinda mind blowing. a.) we hit two people b.)we were in a fucken riot c.)all stuff got stolen d.)thankfully all the Peace Corps people were ok. After a while in the living room of this house we go up an their roof to get some air and check everything out. it cooler up there and night has started to descend. Luckily the game was played during the afternoon and not at night time. had it been at night i feel it would have been 10x worse. as were hanging out up there we here some pop/explosions and everyones eyes and sinuses start burning. Tear gas is floating our way so we all retreat back downstairs for a while. That was really the last of it though i think the tear gas was to clear up the last of the rioters.
Pete who is kinda in charge at this point tells us that we should move and the were going to Chris Hendricks house. were all cool with this, as we joke about living it up with the director and drinking scotch and smoking cigars with him. we originally were going to grab cabs and head over there but the cabbies dont want to drive yet so the powers that be send over a land cruiser for us. At this point id take any driver just to get to somewhere vaguely secure. The car rolls up and we all pile in but end up going to the regional house in Dakar instead.
Its a pretty cool place, no one was there when we got there but we got some food and relaxed a bit. Brin and sandy show up after a while at which point we decide we should find some liquid therapy. We end up killing 2 bottles of whiskey between us and just reliving the events of the day. Wasnt quite a day at the beach but quite a experience. We end up staying up till 3 going over stuff adn joking around.