Tembisa soccer fan returns from world renowned El Clasico derby

A Tembisa soccer fan joined thousands of screaming fans as they cheered on their heroes at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on December 23, 2017.

Lucas Ngxabi said he went to the El Clasico derby to support Real Madrid in their game against Barcelona.

“I was very excited. I cannot even explain the feeling seeing all the players coming onto the field to warm up in front of the fans.

“I was happy to see my favorite player Cristiano Ronaldo. I have never seen a stadium as big as Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in my life,” said Lucas.

He said by the end of the game he was heartbroken because the team he was supporting got beaten 0-3 in favour of Barcelona.

“Despite the loss, I was happy to be in Madrid. People there do not speak English so communication was difficult but the food is nice, even though I still prefer South African traditional food.

“We went for sightseeing and I loved the experience of exploring Madrid. Things there are organised. It is not chaotic like here in Jo’burg and you can tell where all the pedestrians are going (direction). I loved the tour buses. You can get off from one tour bus if you see something that excites you and use the same ticket to board another tour bus that comes by. I loved the sightseeing and the tours,” an elated Lucas explained.

Lucas was among the six lucky Hollywoodbets’ customers sent to Spain where they got to live every soccer fan’s dream and see the El Clasico derby featuring two of the world’s top clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

He said his friends and family were happy for him when they heard that Hollywoodbets was taking him and other lucky customers to Spain.

“I used to place my soccer bets and when I lost I entered my tickets for a lucky draw. Somewhere in April last year I was called by Hollywoodbets and I was informed that I will be among the lucky winners who will be jetting off to Spain and I was very excited by the news”.

He said he started to think about all the players he was going to see there and got excited about the thought of flying for the first time and leaving the country for the first time.

“I had the time of my life, even though Messi and his crew tried to spoil it for me. Hollywoodbets made sure that I enjoyed every moment of it,” said Lucas.

The trip included many first-time experiences, starting with the flight itself where each of the winners got the chance to travel by airplane for the very first time. They also spent four days exploring the city, the highlight of which was a guided tour of the well-known stadium. The match had fans on the edge of their seats.

“This was a fantastic trip! It was such a joy to see our winners’ excitement and gratitude. Some of them could not believe that they were sitting at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu witnessing the El Clasico and seeing two of the greatest players of their time, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, live in the flesh,” said Hollywoodbets’ soccer brand manager Wayde Dorkin.

The group’s experience was made even more unforgettable as they also got the chance to rub shoulders with South African soccer legend and Hollywoodbets brand ambassador Jerry Sikhosana who joined them on the trip. “Legs of Thunder” (Sikhosana) travelled the world during his playing days but it was his first time visiting this particular stadium.

Lucas thanked Hollywoodbets for giving him an opportunity to travel to Spain and to be part of El Clasico derby and said people shouldn’t be skeptical of soccer bets but he said they can play the game wisely.