Ekoku and Agboola Wax Lyrical
Moderators: Moderator Team, phpBB2 - Administrators
-
General Trousers
- Eaglet
- Posts: 17074
- Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:59 pm
- Location: Katmandu, Nepal
Ekoku and Agboola Wax Lyrical
British connection grows at African Nations Cup
By Mark Gleeson
TUNIS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Ten years ago, English-based player Efan Ekoku was out on the pitch at El Menzah stadium in Tunis for the African Nations Cup final; the only British connection with the bi-annual continental championship.
A decade on, and once again back in Tunisia, Nigerian Ekoku sits high in the stands commentating on games as part of a sizeable British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) contingent reporting on the tournament for British fans.
ADVERTISEMENT
African football, the Nations Cup and the relationship with English and Scottish football have come a long way in that time.
Ekoku, a former member of the 'Crazy Gang' at Wimbledon, was the only British-based footballer who competed at the 1994 Nations Cup finals.
Then playing at Norwich City, he helped Nigeria to win the tournament but, with his English upbringing and accent, he remained something of an oddity at the event.
A decade later there are 23 English-based footballers competing in the Nations Cup, plus Bobo Balde from Scottish premier league leaders Celtic, in a dramatic shift reflecting the growing internationalisation of the British leagues.
LONG WAY
The majority of the English-based footballers at this Nations Cup are from premiership clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Liverpool and champions Manchester United.
"It certainly has come a long way," reflected Ekoku. "I just think it took the English clubs a long time to catch on to the fact that there was plenty of talent on the African continent."
France, the dominant source of key players at this tournament since it was opened up to professional footballers in 1984, has this year provided 79 footballers to 14 of the 16 participating teams.
"The English were just way behind the French," Ekoku added.
The former striker, who finished his career at Sheffield Wednesday, says his departure for the 1994 finals was regarded with bemusement by Norwich.
"When I went to Wimbledon they tried to put a clause in my contract that restricted any playing time I might have got with Nigeria, but for me giving up an international career was a non-starter."
LIVE BROADCASTS
Ekoku was only the second British-based player to play at the Nations Cup finals after compatriot Reuben Agboola, who had been at Swansea City, a Welsh club playing in the English league.
Agboola, born in London to a Nigerian father, was in the Super Eagles side that finished third at the 1992 finals in Senegal.
"In hindsight, I feel like a bit of a pioneer when you see all the English-based players out there now," said Ekoku.
He and his BBC colleagues are broadcasting 51 hours live and in highlight form from the current tournament in Tunisia -- the second successive time they have covered the event.
Forty-five minutes of last Saturday's match between Nigeria and South Africa was shown on the showpiece programme Grandstand, attracting an audience of 1.8 million, BBC officials said.
"It's a fantastic tournament and when we first covered it in Mali two years ago it generated massive awareness and interest back in the U.K.," said Andy Gilbert, who heads the BBC's production team at the Nations Cup.
The BBC now have a contract to broadcast the next two tournaments in 2006 and 2008.
By Mark Gleeson
TUNIS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Ten years ago, English-based player Efan Ekoku was out on the pitch at El Menzah stadium in Tunis for the African Nations Cup final; the only British connection with the bi-annual continental championship.
A decade on, and once again back in Tunisia, Nigerian Ekoku sits high in the stands commentating on games as part of a sizeable British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) contingent reporting on the tournament for British fans.
ADVERTISEMENT
African football, the Nations Cup and the relationship with English and Scottish football have come a long way in that time.
Ekoku, a former member of the 'Crazy Gang' at Wimbledon, was the only British-based footballer who competed at the 1994 Nations Cup finals.
Then playing at Norwich City, he helped Nigeria to win the tournament but, with his English upbringing and accent, he remained something of an oddity at the event.
A decade later there are 23 English-based footballers competing in the Nations Cup, plus Bobo Balde from Scottish premier league leaders Celtic, in a dramatic shift reflecting the growing internationalisation of the British leagues.
LONG WAY
The majority of the English-based footballers at this Nations Cup are from premiership clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Liverpool and champions Manchester United.
"It certainly has come a long way," reflected Ekoku. "I just think it took the English clubs a long time to catch on to the fact that there was plenty of talent on the African continent."
France, the dominant source of key players at this tournament since it was opened up to professional footballers in 1984, has this year provided 79 footballers to 14 of the 16 participating teams.
"The English were just way behind the French," Ekoku added.
The former striker, who finished his career at Sheffield Wednesday, says his departure for the 1994 finals was regarded with bemusement by Norwich.
"When I went to Wimbledon they tried to put a clause in my contract that restricted any playing time I might have got with Nigeria, but for me giving up an international career was a non-starter."
LIVE BROADCASTS
Ekoku was only the second British-based player to play at the Nations Cup finals after compatriot Reuben Agboola, who had been at Swansea City, a Welsh club playing in the English league.
Agboola, born in London to a Nigerian father, was in the Super Eagles side that finished third at the 1992 finals in Senegal.
"In hindsight, I feel like a bit of a pioneer when you see all the English-based players out there now," said Ekoku.
He and his BBC colleagues are broadcasting 51 hours live and in highlight form from the current tournament in Tunisia -- the second successive time they have covered the event.
Forty-five minutes of last Saturday's match between Nigeria and South Africa was shown on the showpiece programme Grandstand, attracting an audience of 1.8 million, BBC officials said.
"It's a fantastic tournament and when we first covered it in Mali two years ago it generated massive awareness and interest back in the U.K.," said Andy Gilbert, who heads the BBC's production team at the Nations Cup.
The BBC now have a contract to broadcast the next two tournaments in 2006 and 2008.
more like behind the times
-
General Trousers
- Eaglet
- Posts: 17074
- Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:59 pm
- Location: Katmandu, Nepal