The night Heineken gave fans a thrilling Champions League final telecast

The 2022/23 Champions League final between Premier League champions Manchester City and Serie A side Inter Milan at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday, June 10 will go down as one of the most watched games in recent years as millions of people stayed glued to their television to have a feel of the greatest club football fiesta across the world. Rwanda was not left behind as Heineken, the proud sponsors of the UEFA Champions League since 1994, gave football fans a thrilling treat at the Pili Pili lounge in Kibagabaga with live coverage on various giant screens. There were various pubs in and around Kigali where the game was shown but majority of the people including the large number of expatriates in Rwanda together with their families watched the game at Pili Pili. At least five giant screens were installed inside the venue to ensure that football fans watch the game comfortably. As at 7:00 pm, which was barely two hours before the game, the car park of the place was almost full as football enthusiasts queued to have their accreditation and tickets checked before entry. A welcome drink was served while team flags for either side were also distributed prior to entrance while sponsors also catered for plenty of snacks and Heineken and other Bralirwa-brewed beverages for their guests. Some of the fans decided to wear jerseys of the club they support and Manchester City seemed to be the dominant color inside with a good number of people in their sky blue kit. People gathered around tables sipping their Heineken and debates about who was going to win were heard around the corner. It was mostly whether Pep Guardiola could win the treble or Inter Milan who previously stopped Benfica in 1965 and Bayern Munich in 2010 from winning the treble, would repeat that feat again. But the Cityzens passed the test, the same test that Guardiola passed, winning his very first European cup without former Barcelona super star Lionel Messi. The match started brightly with each of the team being very cautious. The main action was in midfield where it was a keenly-contested battle between Inter skipper Marcelo Brozovic and City captain Ilkay Gundogan. Both players came against each other several times in a battle worth watching. The first chance of the game fell to Lautaro Martinez in the 14th minute as his strike aside the box sailed over the bar. City then took over as they like incessant pressure on Inter. Erling Braut Haaland had a glorious chance to break the deadlock but his strike was wonderfully saved by Andre Onana after being beautifully set up by Bernardo Silva. Manchester City were forced to make a change in the 35th minute as their talisman Kevin De Bruyne suffered a hamstring and had to make way for Phil Foden. The Belgium international looked dejected as this was the second time that he has been taken off in the champions league final through injury which he also suffered against Chelsea in 2021. The second half started with Inter pushing more men forward. Edin Dzeko took a knock and had to be replaced by Lukaku in the 55th minute Inter could have broken the deadlock in the 59th minute following a blunder by Manuel Akanji. The defender fumbled on a harmless ball and Lautaro Martinez got the upper hand. Instead of passing to Lukaku, he went for personal glory and Ederson saved the effort. City stepped up their game with a swift attack inside the Inter vital area. Bernardo Silva cut back with a delightful cross which Rodrigo connected beautifully with a grounder in the 68th minute to make it 1-0 for Manchester City. The City fans at the Pili Pili Lounge rose on their feet as they cheered their team. Inter nearly responded two minutes later but Dimarco's header hit the crossbar to the relief of the City fans. Inter brought on D’Ambrosio and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barela as the Nerrazuri revamped their attacking line in the 80th minute. Lukaku had a chance to pull even for Inter in the 88th minute but he headed straight to the hands of Ederson inside the penalty box. Manchester City held on in the five minutes of injury time as the game ended 1-0 this winning their first ever Champions League trophy. Fans of Manchester City were in a frenzy mood as they jubilated at the Pili-Pili Lounge and also across the streets, celebrating the club’s first Champions League title ever and, most importantly, becoming the first English club to win the treble since cross town rivals Manchester United during the 1998/99 season. Some prizes including t-shirts and caps were also given out to people who got the scores right both at half time and full time.

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The night Heineken gave fans a thrilling Champions League final telecast