‘I could literally see Mbappe’s sweat dripping from his face’
As part of the hype building up to the just-ended Football World Cup in Qatar, FNBB, through their ‘Swipe and Win’ competition, gave away double tickets to three lucky customers.
One of the fortunate few to secure his spot in the stands at the greatest sporting show on the planet was Vincent Matshameko, who won tickets to watch both semi-finals.
The Mosojane native spent five days in Lusail, Qatar with his aunt, Lebogang Namate, where they had the time of their lives, watching Argentina crush Croatia and then France overcome Morocco.
This is Matshameko’s story…
“From the first day I got a call from FNBB I just couldn’t believe it. I was in Francistown where I’m based. They called on a Friday [14 October] expecting me to come play a few games in Gaborone the next day but I told them I couldn’t make it and asked if my brother, Tshepo Mudongo to take my place instead and they agreed.
Tshepo went there bright and early on that Saturday just like I asked him to, excited and determined to make his older brother proud. He won every single game until he got to choose the lucky box that had an all-expense paid trip to the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
I was ecstatic and was with him every step of the way via video call.
I was immediately contacted by FNBB to assure me of the winnings.
They helped me process all the necessary travelling documents, my flights and more importantly the Hayya card permit needed to enter Qatar.
I arrived in Qatar after an 8hr 20 minute flight from Joburg on Sunday December 11th and was treated with the utmost respect alongside my aunt Mrs. Lebogang Namate whom I ended up going with.
She is like a mother to me and I wanted to do something nice for her after all she has done for me.
The service and the people in Qatar were friendly; they went out of their way to make sure our stay with them is pleasurable and memorable.
On the Tuesday night, I went to watch Argentina vs Croatia.
It was an amazing match.
I have always been a fan of Lionel Messi, so it was a no brainer which team I was rooting for! The little magician did me proud; I was speechless.
The people from VISA were brilliant, making sure we got to the stadium on time and that our tickets were in order.
The feeling of watching a game of that magnitude live and the atmosphere was incredible, one I’ll never forget.
The locals were also amazing, took a whole bunch of pictures with the ones I was seated next to as if we had known each other for eons.
The next night, the France and Morocco match was mind blowing. Imagine 68, 294 people screaming all at once.
The rush was out of this world.
The seats we had were closer to the field as compared to the first game.
I could literally see Mbappe’s sweat dripping from his face!
The boy has skills: his agility and speed with the ball was amazing to watch live! Watching football live at the stadium has ruined TV football for me I swear!
The food is an experience on its own.
We were being served with cuisines from different parts of the world daily just to experience other cultures.
My home in Qatar, the Mondrian Hotel was nothing short of 5 stars.
Also, VISA was courteous enough to take us site seeing at the dessert experience a day before the match.
Overall, the experience is at the top of the most memorable moments in my life.”
