My Afcon experience Egypt, with close to 98 million people, is humid. If you have ever been there you would know how overwhelming the heat can get.
Now coming from a nation with a population of close to 2.5 million people, and varying degrees of temperature across the country, Egypt can get quite overwhelming.
I was fortunate enough to travel for the third-place play-off, as well as the final match of the Afcon 2019 tournament, courtesy of MTC.
First things first; when I arrived at the airport, it was the usual security check - nothing friendly.
I wasn't in Cairo to work, so I guess only carrying a camera was not too much of a hassle. The hotel check-in was okay. I guess presenting papers helps a lot, because having a conversation in Arabic was obviously impossible.
But of course there was a tour guide and bodyguard guiding us along the way. I wasn't sure if this was the case for all tourists visiting the country, but I later learnt that there is quite a lot of unrest, after a bus carrying 25 South African tourist was bombed at the Pyramids of Giza a month before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations, so authorities were on their toes, trying to make sure that visitors are protected.
I understand this, because not only is Egypt trying to bring back glory days to the cradle of civilisation, luring visitors to their museums and such through the tournament, it is also trying to warn its citizens that fights and conflict only cause harm in the long run.
Things are truly different around there. With so many people, it is quite difficult to drive home a message of peace, integrity and of zero racism; you see, everyone has their own idea of how things should be.
I'm not sure if security activities will continue for the rest of the visitors planning on travelling to Cairo since the tournament's end. All I know is that with Egypt comes a huge culture shock. However, that is a story for another day.
Nigeria match
We got though the first gate at Al Salam Stadium on 17 June, after being searched thoroughly by female guards. Security was so tight that I had to switch on my camera, so they could make sure it wasn't a weapon.
It was the same story with my power bank. I had to take it back to the bus, because according to them, it could be a possible bomb.
Yet another thorough search happened at the second gate.
If you comply, everything runs smoothly. The third-place playoff was exciting. With the five other Namibians who were travelling with me, we managed to group ourselves with the Nigerian supporters.
Nigerians bring a certain type of atmosphere to any stadium they enter. They are not difficult to miss, with their attire, drums and chanting.
These guys were on their feet for the duration of the match, blowing vuvuzelas and beating drums. It is very important to have support as a team. I think they have successfully managed to own that space.
I think as Namibians we need to learn a thing or two about organising a support base for our national teams. We don't have an identity when it comes to that. I think as trivial as it seems, it is important to bring that element to any stadium.
We can achieve this if we organise ourselves and form a national supporters' club.
The final
We arrived at the Cairo International Stadium three hours before kickoff. We found the gates closed. Of course we didn't know what was going on. Football fans we met outside one of the gates told us there was some sort of fight between fans, and the gates had to be closed.
Another fan told us the president of Egypt was in the stadium, hence the lockout. I don't know which version was true.
We decided to wait with the rest of the crowd, as they gathered. At that time I had forgotten that we didn't have a bodyguard with us. It was Friday, which is devoted to prayer in the Muslim faith. We forgot that it wasn't safe to be an unguided woman in this foreign land.
We just joined the rest of the fans from Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Cameroon to watch the final.
There was a certain kind of togetherness, because we were all strangers united by the love of football. For about three hours we waited with growing impatience to be allowed through the first gate, blocked by armed police.
A couple we met was divided by the fence. The guy managed to get through the barrier before it was locked. But because the crowd was pushing, his girlfriend ended up behind the metal barrier that was now separating them. He then decided not to proceed, but stand in solidarity with his girlfriend. I think they said they were from Benin.
The first half started and one guy - Stephane, pulled out his phone and we watched the half on his phone, as we stood outside. Algeria scored.
Eventually a few minutes before the first half ended we were then allowed to enter the gate. “Order, order,” they screamed. We had to hold hands so that we didn't lose each other in the crowd as we entered.
When we saw people running, we instinctively wanted to do the same. We ran to the second gate. The last checkpoint also had metal detectors and security guards. Everyone was shoving and pushing to get through, but the security officers held firm, as they needed to search everyone.
After spending some time at the second gate, we eventually entered the huge, packed stadium. Close to 70 000 people gathered to watch the final. Shoving our way through, we found seats, but away from the colourful Senegalese supporters, because they too didn't want to dilute their presence.
We joined the Tunisians, who are not really known to be loud fans. So we decided to dance and sing, and a few joined in, with others giving some awkward stares.
At some point the supporters lit up their cellphones in commemoration of the 72 fans who were killed in the Port Said Stadium disaster.
Algeria eventually won, and throughout the night I could hear supporters screaming and singing, as a new day broke.
limba@namibiansun.com