Soccer, the king of sports
If there's one sport here that everyone agrees on, it's soccer. Historically, soccer first appeared in the Congo in the 1920s. This colonial practice was quickly emulated, and the missionaries, through their sports associations, contributed to the spread of the sport via young Christians. When the Diables Noirs de Brazzaville team was created in the 1950s, the religious authorities were furious. Threats in Sunday sermons, a ban on training in Mission stadiums, and in response, a boycott by the young footballers and their supporters of all religious services... The Devils prevailed, and the team was duly recognized and the sanctions lifted in 1952. Since then, the country's stadiums have been packed every weekend. As for the national team, nicknamed the Red Devils, results have been rather discreet in recent years, with the exception of a notable quarter-final appearance at the 2015 African Cup of Nations (CAN). The Diables Rouges' main feat remains victory at the 1972 CAN in Cameroon, after beating the host country in the semi-finals and Mali in the final, with goals from M'Bole and François M'Pelé, a future Paris-SG player. In short, as in every corner of the planet, soccer is a real passion!
Wrestling, between wrestling and magic
Sulphurous, an explosive mix of genres, at the crossroads of wrestling and magic, wrestling is the sport or show you wouldn't expect here, and yet... It all began when Nsiafoumou Nador, better known as Maître Nador, a wrestler from Kinshasa, crossed the river in 1982, at the age of twenty. He promptly opened a dojo in Brazzaville. Congolese wrestling was born. It's a syncretic practice based on pongo, traditional Likouala wrestling, blended with American and Western wrestling techniques, all combined with magical practices. Today, there are a dozen clubs in the capital alone. Every wrestler is trained as a wrestler, and "mystical preparation", as we say here, is left to his or her own discretion. Magic is a founding element of African wrestling, and we still hear of anthology matches in which the wrestlers only come to blows after having exhausted all the magical power of their fetishes, punching spirits that propel the opponent without contact to the other end of the ring. Wrestling on this side of the river, under the influence of the departmental league of the city of Brazzaville, shows a willingness to dissociate wrestling and magic. The fact remains that the popular support for wrestling, its core audience, is very fond of the aura of witchcraft that surrounds the fighters.
Ndzango, the traditional game
You're sure to see groups of girls divided into two teams playing this curious game, a sort of cross between hopscotch and chifoumi. This traditional game is extremely popular and a real part of Congolese culture.
On a fifteen-metre pitch, the girls sing nursery rhymes and clap their hands, while two girls jump to the rhythm face-to-face. On the third jump, both girls simultaneously cross or uncross their legs: the girl from the first team must perform the same gesture as the second, while the other must perform a different gesture from the first. The one who wins goes on to face the next opponent. And so on, until one of the two teams runs out of participants and loses the point. The winning team is the one that scores the most points in the allotted time. For a long time confined to school playgrounds, this leisure activity has become a genuine sporting discipline in recent years.
Nature activities
To make the most of the country's natural beauty, it's best to turn to local agencies and service providers such as Lawanda Tours and Adventure.
On land, it's mainly hiking that will delight the more athletic. Whether in the forest, in search of waterfalls, or on the trails of national parks and nature reserves, such as the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, where visitors can take part in safaris to observe gorillas, forest elephants and chimpanzees in particular. In any case, it is advisable to be accompanied by a local guide when venturing into the wilderness. Golf enthusiasts can also hit the little white ball along the superb 18-hole courses of the Brazzaville Golf Club or the Golf de Diosso.
The country's rivers and the Congo River also offer the possibility of beautiful pirogue rides (motorized or not), jet-skiing, pedal-boating, paddle-boating, kayaking or sport fishing (bring your own equipment and get information from local agencies or the Brazzaville Nautical Complex).
On the seaside, you won't want to miss out on the beaches, especially Loango, in the Loango National Park. Regularly ranked as one of the best beaches in Africa, it promises to be a picture-postcard experience, with hippos and elephants taking a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. A unique experience! And between July and September, you can also watch humpback whales and dolphins playing offshore from the beach. The country's beaches are also ideal for quad-biking. Surfers will also find pleasant waves in the Conkouati park opposite the Noumbi Resort, while on Sundays the capital's inhabitants flock to the Cataractes - Brazzaville Plage for a lazy day overlooking the rapids of the Congo River. Also not to be missed, the wild coastline of Pointe-Noire and the beaches of Pointe-Indienne, some 15 km from Pointe-Noire.
Beware, however, that swimming can be dangerous on some of the country's wild coast beaches, due to currents and waves. It's wise to be content with swimming close to the shore... Or enjoy the pool at your hotel!
