Senegal fans tidying up a stadium after a match
Despite having just watched their team get off to a winning start at the World Cup, many Senegal fans put their celebrations on hold in the aftermath of the 2-1 victory over Poland.
This was due to the fact that they were busy picking up litter and tidying their section of the stand at the Otkrytiye Arena in Moscow.
Supporters were filmed collecting trash and organizing it into neat piles to help the stadium staff in their clean-up operation.
Indeed, there were similar scenes over at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk, where Japan fans spent their time politely tidying up in the wake of their side’s 2-1 win against Colombia.
The Blue Samurai supporters did likewise at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre explaining that cleanliness is considered a vitally important part of everyday life in the country.
“It’s not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture,” McIntyre told BBC News at the time. “You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that’s the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football.”
A Habit Built From Childhood
It is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan.
“They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it’s often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can’t leave it there,” Mr McIntyre says.
In like manner, Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team’s first victory against a South American side.