I went so see the Ghana vs Chad soccer game at the Accra Sports Stadium. I’ve seen plenty of games on TV, but this time around I wanted to know what it feels like to be there. The energy was different. I could hear drums, chants and people laughing as soon as I got near the stadium. Everyone was wearing something displaying Ghana’s colors, scarves, shirts, flags knotted around heads.

Though inside the stadium, it was loud and hot. The crowd moved like a wave. When Ghana got near the goal, everyone shot up and screamed and clapped. It’s a feeling you don’t feel when you’re at home. On television you hear the announcer more than the fans. At the stadium, the sound makes your chest vibrate. Even in silences, people are singing or arguing or jumping.

But sometimes I couldn’t get the full picture if something else was happening at the same location. And if the ball was long distance, I couldn’t tell what happened until the crowd reacted. On TV, you can see the entire pitch, and the camera is on the ball. In the stadium, you have to scan more and focus. It also made me aware of just how much the game can scurry along.

But being there was electric in a way it’s difficult for me to convey. People I’d never met were high fiving and dancing with me when Ghana was scoring. It felt more alive. Like I was on the inside of something instead of just viewing it.