Why Uganda fit get Arsenal fans wey dey ginger pass in di world

Arsenal fans for Uganda do party wey enta morning last week, outside video halls and bars across di kontri, afta dia team win di game against Real Madrid.

Di North London team win 3-0 for house, for di first leg of di Champions League quarter-final.

If you see di way dem just dey hail midfielder Declan Rice and im free kicks, you go tink say Arsenal na team wey grow from yard.

Wen Arsenal dey play like dis, di East African kontri dey feel am.

Togeda wit Manchester United na dem be di English Premier League (EPL) teams wey get di biggest support for di kontri.

You go just see church services wey fans wey dey wear di Gunners red and white colours go full pit bifor big matches as dem dey pray for side wey sometimes be like say dem really need divine intervention.

Dis ginger for Arsenal and oda English clubs don build entire industry inside Uganda as shops dey sell jerseys and bigger companies dey target dia adverts around di results. For sport betting e don turn ogbonge business.

Veteran sports tori pesin Isaac Mumema tell di BBC say, "I don cover sports across Africa for many years and I fit tell you witout doubt say di soccer ginger for Uganda dey anoda level."

Swale Suleiman wey be mechanic wey also be Manchester United fan wey I follow tok for one garage for di capital, Kampala, im own excitement dey come from di fact say EPL matches dey competitive, entertaining and sometimes dem dey unpredictable and even "small team fit cause gbege".

Uganda fan clubs don dey for all di top English clubs. Dem get WhatsApp groups to kontinu di debate afta dem comot halls and bars.

But Arsenal fans dey take am to anoda level, some even chop arrest say dem do victory parades witout police notice afta dem win big matches.

But dis kain fandom get dark side as di love of di game dey cause deadly violence as vex dey start wit rival supporters.

Uganda Football Coaches Association (UFCA) chairman Stone Kyambadde tell di BBC say "our pipo dey normally dey attached to sometin wit dia whole heart and Ugandans really love football. Dis kain ginger for soccer don dey stronger wit di young generation bicos dem fit watch di English Premier League wit anywia".

Dem fit see di scores for dia phones, but na normally event wey dem dey do togeda and even for di most hidden villages go get video hall wia fans fit gada to watch matches.

But villagers near Lake Victoria gada last December to bury one 30 year old carpenter wey dem shoot dead as im dey celevtate Arsenal win against Manchester United.

Pipo just dey comot to mourn di loss of John Senyange wey be Gunner all of im life.

E bin dey watch di match for one video hall for di town of Lukaya wen Arsenal fans just start to dey jolly afta dem blow final whistle. Na so di rival fans start to dey vex, and among dem na one security guard wey tori be say na im shoot.

Early for di season for di south-western area of Kabale, one Arsenal supporter stab Manchester United fan Benjamin Ndyamuhaki to death as di two of dme bin dey argue di results of ogbonge clash between Arsenal and Liverpool.

For 2023, four Premiership related deaths happun for different parts of di kontri. Man Utd supporter kill two Arsenal fans, one fan die for mysterious circumstances afta Man Utd loose 7-0 to Liverpool and anoda man die from stab wounds afta e bin dey try to separate fights afta Arsenal lose to Man Utd.

Football kasala for Uganda don tey. For di 1980s local games bin dey cause stone throwing and fight fight between rival fans.

Sports scientist Lumbuye Linika tell me for one football pitch for Kampala say, "kasala dey always burst weneva Express FC and SC Villa wey be di two main local teams for Uganda get major match".

But di mata don worst and according to sabi pipo na fanaticism wey gambling dey cause as many men dey try to place bets for a living.

Some years ago, police say one man use poison take kill imself afta e lose money for bet.

Wit online betting, e dey just take one second make you place bet using app for your phone.

Gaming companies don also take advantage of di Ugandan obsession wit di EPL, dey arrange viewing centres wia fans fit watch match place bets.

Dis na wia di trouble dey normally start, wen rival fans go yab diaselves wen dia bets fail.

Amos Kalwegira wey follow me tok for road for Kampala as I see am dey wear Man Utd shirt tell me say "wit few job opportunities, many football fans dey look betting as way to make quick money. E don turn dis kain ogbonge emotional investment wey fit sharparly turn to vex wen di results no dey favourable."

For oga Linka, "football na sometin wey suppose to make us happy and Western soccer suppose be form of entertainment but hia for Uganda, we don turn am to way to make money, wey don spoil di fun".

But Collins Bongomine wey be senior officer for one of di betting companies for Uganda, say make dem no blame di industry for football kasala.

E tell di BBC say, "pipo just no too sabi how to manage expectations and anger" as im note say di industry dey work to encourage responsible gambling.

Wit more dan 2,000 betting shops across di kontri, e dey make money for goment too as dem gbab like $50m for tax revenue from gambling last year, according to local tori pipo.

Some pipo torchlight say na Uganda Arsenal and Man Utd fans dey get di deadly kwanta pass say e fit get sometin to do wit age and background.

Oga Linika wey be Liverpool fan say im team dey normally get older fans wey get money small while Arsenal and Man Utd fans dey normally coem from poorer areas.

E say, "as we now dey for di top of di Premier League table, e go hard make you hear say Liverpool fan dey inside kasala."

Pamela Icumar, wey dem dey call Mama Liverpool bicos of how she like di Reds gree say herfellow fans fit handle dia emotions "even wen we dey lose".

But Arsenal fan Agness Katende no gree wen I meet di two of dem for Kampala. Di two women dey part of women wey dey follow di EPL. Ms Icumar sef dey part of women only fan club.

Solomon Kutesa wey be secretary for di official Arsenal Supporters Club for Uganda, say na di kontri drinking culture dey cause di kasala for football.

E tell di BBC say, "some fans go watch di game wen dem don drunk sotay e go come hard to manage dem wen dia team lose."

Some pipo dey suggest say make dem carry fans comot bars and go back local stadiums to solve and ginger di Ugandan Premier League.

Oga Kyambadde tok say, "di current generation only sabi European soccer. If we invest more for di local league, we fit manage to comot di plenti attention wey foreign games dey get" even as e note say dem suffer from bad reputation and lack of stars.

Former footballer Tom Lwanga, wey play for Uganda national team wen di Cranes reach di 1978 Africa Cup of Nations gree say, "we become popular bicos we dey play wen stadiums bin dey full. We need to go back dat era and manage di ginger wit European football".

Odas dey blame di lack of live television broadcasts na why Uganadan league dey fall.

Asuman Basalirwa wey be di oga of di Ugandan Parliamentary Sports Club na among di pipo wey wan boost local gmane.

E say, "I dey among di few MPs wey dey watch local football and we wan see more leaders even di president make e dey come stadium to support local teams".

But for oga Kutesa, wey bin love Arsenal since di days of Nwankwo Kanu and Thierry Henry, di next few weeks dey very important.

E tok for February say, "our emotions now dey high. We dey wia we belong and dis na definitely our season".

Even though e be like dia title bid don end, dem dey strong position to qualify for di Champions League semi-finals for di first time in 16 years, as long as dem no enta kasala for Wednesday second leg against Real Madrid.