Nairobi, May 10 -- There is a special kind of cultural confusion that comes from visiting the United States (US) a month before the World Cup. Not the Super Bowl. Not the NBA Finals. I mean the actual World Cup, the global sporting festival that turns entire nations into temporary psychiatric wards of joy, heartbreak and unprovoked street dancing.

Yet here I am in Atlanta, and the pre-World Cup atmosphere is. muted. Whisper-soft. As quiet as a teenager's room after you've switched off the home Wi-Fi.

Walking around downtown Atlanta, I have seen exactly one bar, just one, with football-themed decor. Parasols on the tables outside, marked with the World Cup emblem and a beer-themed offering titled "First Eleven", were notable. If you blin...