Nigeria fans in Curitiba. Giuliano Gomes/Getty Images
Nigeria fans in Curitiba. Giuliano Gomes/Getty Images

World Cup Diary Day 7: Curtain call for Curitiba



CURITIBA // Brazil’s most-organised city staged its first World Cup match on Monday, and football aside, it was a resounding success.

Supporters from Nigeria and Iran populated Curitiba for the days leading up to the Group F encounter, with the Africans as strong in voice as their Middle Eastern counterparts in number.

From Toronto or Tehran they came, conversing in Farsi and English. Some stopped off at American and South American destinations, simply to make the most of a special opportunity. Once here, football assumed focus.

The Arena da Baixada, built for the tournament, sits tucked away in Agua Verde, 10 minutes by taxi from the city’s centre. On Monday, Nigerians could be found covering each other in green-and-white body paint. Iranian flags were carried above the crowd.

Yet the best bit was the sea of yellow and green; Curitibans may not have a particular preference for John Mikel Obi or Javad Nekounam, but they arrived en masse. At 39,081, the stadium was nearly full.

And it heaved and hummed to the sound of Brazilian verse, first with the enchanting Eu sou Brasileiro, or “I am Brazilian”. Ditties dedicated to Curitiba and Atletico Paranaense, the local teams, were exchanged throughout. Even Fifa received a special mention as the match stuttered to its 0-0 conclusion, although it was not too complimentary.

Curitiba’s inhabitants supposedly are notoriously reserved, but a cavalcade of boos greeted the final whistle, a reflection of the lack of goals. Once back to a charming public house named Stuart’s, its owner, Ferri, proudly flicked through photos snapped at his first live World Cup match. An avid marathon runner, he competed in Dubai in 2006.

“A beautiful place,” he says. “You are very welcome here.” It is a palpable sentiment, indeed.

jmcauley@thenational.ae

The Freedom Artist

By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group B

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0

BOSH!'s pantry essentials

Nutritional yeast

This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.

Seeds

"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."

Umami flavours

"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".

Onions and garlic

"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."

Your grain of choice

Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."

NEW ARRIVALS

Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
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Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m