Matt's World Cup Diary


Day 3 – Togo v Switzerland - Dortmund

We have 8 tickets between the ten of us for this one, along with 2 Togo shirts, 3 flags and 3 hats to share around. Given Togo’s colours are yellow, green and red we are not exactly subtle. Ridiculously we find a bar in sight of the turnstiles that’s not especially busy and field a few queries from the Swiss about what part of Togo we come from.

Watching the fans go buy from the comfort of a bar is one of the great attractions of the World Cup – so we see genuine Togo fans (we think) go past in tribal dress and painted green, as well as Swiss with their flag painted on faces everywhere and various variations on cheese hats. None of them look like Heidi.

Our first chance to see if there is any evidence of ticket checking – but despite the fact that only half of us have tickets with our own names on- we get, in no problem. I spot a few people in front of me with tickets from the Togo FA, who are whiter than me, (the suns already turning me red) – wonder how much they made from selling them.

Unsurprisingly many other neutral English and German fans have adopted Togo and are kitted out in yellow – so it’s a shame that Togo wear green – still I suppose we should be glad they at least turned up. Togo have their moments but never really push enough men forward to look like getting an equaliser and Swiss run out comfortable players. Adebayor is the typical star player – lots of tricks and flicks in non-dangerous areas, but also quick to do the Hasselbaink shrug when the ball isn’t delivered right onto his toe.

Are you that's not contagious?