Today I feel a fresh air as I attempt to take a step backward to detach myself from the on-going media reportage with specific reference to the happenings within Nigeria vis-à-vis the actors of our World Cup movie. These actors are the sporting media, the coach of the national team, the players of the Super Eagles, the administrators and the passionate Nigeria public not forgetting the government of Nigeria.
The above is a collection of casts for the Nigerian World Cup movie and I tell you that any act that is done wrongly by any of the member listed above is a recipe for mass failure. My concern today however is on how the media can be managed to achieve good success for this World Cup come June/July 2014.
It is instructive to note that this is not a period to be overly critical about our team coaches, administrators, players and even the sporting media rather, it is a period when we are to put all differences aside for the interest of our nation towards achieving good success in our World Cup performance in Brazil
I’m sure that many will differ from my point of argument but I think I will be justified when we take a look at what is happening in other countries that are also preparing for this football fiesta. Rather than experience rancour amongst the various stakeholders we see a different approach which in my view may not be far from been properly coordinated.
What we need is for the sporting media to be adequately abreast of the programmes and plans for the World Cup proper. The administrators on their part should see to it that all needed information as it relates to our plans for the World Cup is properly articulated and communicated to the media.
Our coaches should be given the space to critically choose their players and also given the right environment to justify why they have chosen the said players. We should at this time be careful about what we say or do because whatever is said or done in the negative will produce a negative result for the nation and we will again begin the blame game.
Some may say that what do I mean by media management and I will say that for the World Cup festival, we need to have a dedicated media manager for the World Cup from the administrators. This media manager will be responsible for all press briefings and organized interface between the sporting media and the technical crew and players as well as the administrators.
In a World Cup year every preparation towards the fiesta is purely a media event there is no two way about it and there is nothing secret about your preparation or plans for the World Cup. The only secret is basically the aspect of tactical training between the coaches and their players all other things is purely a media event.
The media if and when properly used is an international army of some sort because the battle of the World Cup is an international sporting warfare that requires a coordinated international media hype and reportage which in turn has the capacity to put the opponents in a very difficult psychological state of mind about your team.
We have everything working for us today, our team is the current African Champions and our coaches have proven that they have the capacity to spring up surprises with the Nigerian team coupled with the commitment by the administrators in ensuring that the best of exposure by way of organised world class friendly matches and camping grounds are all provided for the team.
I will expect that a more specific media interactive session be organised to correct any form of misinformation because at this time we need to all speak in one voice towards the actualization of our noble objective of doing very well in Brazil.
History and posterity will judge us all as it relates to our roles as individuals and as organization towards the advancement of our team in the cause of the World Cup. Let me say that this must be seen as a Nigerian project and the nation is far greater than anyone, hence we need to respect the national pride as against our individual idiosyncrasies.
With an effective platform for media management which must be created by the Nigeria Football Federation to galvanize and mobilize the sporting media in prompt and adequate briefing on plans, programmes and what have you, I am sure that Nigeria will rise and shine at the end of this process. Let me wish everyone a successful regime of working together as a team towards actualizing our common goal which is to do well in the World Cup come June/July 2014.
