World Cup fever still at a high for many
PETALING JAYA: The final whistle has been blown and now the withdrawal symptoms begin.
After a month of losing sleep, fervent chat group texts and conversations, football fans are dreading the return to their normal routines as the World Cup matches end.
Although they look forward to catching up on rest, they admit that the end of football’s biggest tournament also leaves a sense of emptiness.
“Now I guess we’ll have to start talking about work again,” joked private sector employee Mohd Nasirruddin Yazid, 39.
An England supporter for more than two decades, he said the World Cup had become part of his daily routine.
“It will probably take a few days before my body clock returns to normal. I might still wake up at 3am expecting a match.”
Mohd Nasirruddin added that discussions with friends had also revolved almost entirely around football.
“Every morning we’d talk about the previous night’s match before starting work. We’d analyse England’s performance, argue over team selections and predict the outcome of the next game,” he said.
Businessman Aizzul A. Majid, 41, is looking forward to catching up on sleep but said he will miss the World Cup buzz.
“You can strike up a conversation with almost anyone about the World Cup. That doesn’t happen every day.”
Aizzul, who has followed Spain throughout the tournament, said football had taken over his daily schedule during the tournament.
“Dinner, outings and even weekends were planned around kick-off times. The World Cup is different because almost everyone is watching. Even friends who don’t usually follow football suddenly have their own predictions and opinions.”
Musician Mohd Najib Mohd Nor, 44, who has been cheering for Argentina, said the World Cup had given him something to look forward to every evening.
“Even when Argentina wasn’t playing, I’d still stay up because every match felt important,” he said.
“Now I’ll probably still open my football app every night before remembering there isn’t a game.”
Mohd Najib admitted it may take some time for him to adjust.
“You know the tournament has to end but it always feels like it ends too soon. Then you start counting the days until the next World Cup,” he quipped.
Mohd Najib said what made the World Cup special was how it united people from different backgrounds.
“At the mamak shop, in the office or even while buying coffee, someone would always ask whether you watched the match the night before,” he noted.
“For one month, football became everyone’s language.”
