Funerals and football in Lubango

by Paul Myers

Article published on the 2010-01-19 Latest update 2010-01-19 14:20 TU

Angolan soccer fans react during their African Nations Cup soccer match against Algeria in Luanda on Monday
(Photo: Reuters)

There was a point just over two weeks ago when I was on the verge of not coming to Angola. The reason was the death of a good friend and his impending funeral.

Mac was one of my first editors at the Wimbledon News where I started. After I left I stayed in touch and, through all the vicissitudes of my life, he was at the end of the phone to harangue, encourage and adore. From nadirs to peaks, he’d be there at any time of the day. It was rare support.

I last spoke to him on December 26. I’d called on Christmas Day but - as he told me when he phoned the next day - he was so busy foaming at how I’d forgotton about him - that he didn’t hear the phone ring. He exploded into laughter at the irony.

He told me he hadn’t been well and we spoke about the trip to Angola. He was pleased that I was going. There were frequent moments on the Wimbledon News when Mac would have gladly sent me to Angola to get lost in the fog of the civil war - I was that bad sometimes. But he battled me into competence.

His wife Patience called on 1 January to tell me he had died. When I spoke a few days later to her I was still unsure whether to come. But she said it would have been against everything he’d been saying over the years. "I don’t want him haunting me" - "Oh no, you don’t want that", she said.

But I have been sad. Ghana take on Burkina Faso later in Luanda all with the hopes of making their footballing dreams come true. Mac helped me make mine come true. I have travelled, learned and have been able to write about it. I know how much he would have loved talking about Angola on my return.

My friend from those days, Lorraine, is going to be at the service on Tuesday. She’s going to speak for both of us. She is his greatest achievement. They were of the same mould. It’s safe to say that Mac would take all the credit for all the good things that happened to me and Lorraine and attribute any setbacks to our intrinsic spineless incompetence – some of his favourite words when it came to us.

The rain is pouring down here in Lubango. The spineless, incompetent in me wants to stay in with a cup of tea and read a book. But there are interviews to go and do. No getting around it. Wonder where that mentality came from ?

As I write this blog Lorraine has just texted me a message from England: "It’s all going to be OK. Don’t worry. Just get a grip and get on with your work". His master’s voice.