“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;……. I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
Of course you know where I got that from. That is a perfect summary of my experience at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the third venue I had visited in this FIFA World Cup 2026 and the best among them all.
They offered a proper World Cup experience for an accredited journalist like myself, quite more liberal than the uptight Boston and elitist East Rutherford. The hospitality of that biblical angel of Philadelphia must have been very remarkable to have attracted these blessings that have seemingly passed onto generations.
Without mincing words, Philadelphia gave me my first real feel of this FIFA World Cup; speaking from the perspective of someone that attended the last two tournaments. From the volunteers inside town, to the pubs filled with fans chilling before the game, to chants inside the subway and a very accommodating stadium staff, it was a real footballing feel.
I donned the 1996 vintage Nigerian jersey so it connected me with some Nigerians that came to see the Côte d’Ivoire vs Curaçao game (including those in the cover photo) and it was good to see.
Free things at last
It’s no longer news that the host nations have fully maximised the business opportunities that this tournament avails and even for journalists, there are hardly any concessions. However, Philadelphia have some human sympathies for journalists.
Paying for almost everything have made one even scared of reaching for water in the refrigerator but they’re actually free for the media alongside some tea or coffee drinks.
I saw quite a lot of smiling, happy and friendly volunteers at the stadium who cared for and helped to do anything to make your work easier. They even encourage you to take pictures, offering to help you with it. Oh my Philly!!!!!
Meet Ariana, my Nigeria-loving driver
I can’t run dry of superlatives to describe my experience at the Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday so I will wait to even experience more on Saturday when I hope to return there for Croatia vs Ghana.
The day ended with a three-hour trip to my base for the next four days in Hanover. My driver for the latter one hour is Ariana, a pretty and diligent lady who hails from Philadelphia. She was introduced as “one of the top rated drivers on Lyft” and we got that.
I was in company of my friend Chibuzor Amos and we paid just $56 for this 65 minutes trip. It was an enjoyable one and when we got talking, Ariana expressed her desire to come to Nigeria which myself and Chibuzor are still fighting over who would win the bid to bring her down to Naija. I pray I win.
Her driving was excellent and she brought us safely at around 11pm ET before I concluded this diary and file for publishing.
My experience at Foxborough in Boston will come next in this diaries corner. Meanwhile, congratulations to all African teams that continue to progress in the competition.
