NAN-S-12
Centres
By Chukwuemeka Opara
Abakaliki, Jan. 23, 2017 (NAN) The apathy to the ongoing Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon, has taken a disturbing dimension with the non-relaying of the matches by soccer-viewing centres in Abakaliki.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent who monitored the development, reports that most of the centres preferred to relay movies and drama series to AFCON matches.
At a viewing centre located at Ogbaga Road, a handful of soccer fans who wanted to watch the last Group A matches between nearly had an altercation with the centre’s operator.
NAN reports that the teams ended their group stage campaigns wit Cameroon drawing goalless with Gabon, while Burkina Faso beat Guinea Bissau 2-0.
Burkina Faso topped their group with five points and +2 goal difference and Cameroon second with points and +1 goal difference. Both teams are through to the quarter-finals.
The fans had demanded that the operator changed the movie channel on show to the AFCON match but he and others at the centre resisted vehemently.
The operator, Simon Igwe, told NAN that his customers were not interested in watching AFCON matches and preferred any other programme.
“They complain that Nigeria is absent from the competition and most of the top stars from the African continent are not on parade.
“The situation is made worse currently with the elimination of Gabon as the fans who showed passion due to Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang’s presence are disappointed,’’ he said.
At another viewing centre along Mgbo Street, an altercation was also averted on Sunday night during the relay of the Gabon vs Cameroun match.
The second half of the match was about to commence when the operator changed the channel to the one relaying the Spanish La Liga duel between Eibar and Barcelona.
The handful of fans who were watching the match protested but was overshadowed by those who angled to watch the La Liga match.
The operator, Mark Mbu, told NAN that he could not have even permitted the relay of the AFCON match if he was around.
“It was my younger brother who tuned to the AFCON channel in my absence as relay of such matches had not been beneficial to me.
“I tuned to the channel for the competition’s opening ceremony and match between Gabon and Guinea-Bissau but only three viewers turned-up.
“I have not relayed AFCON matches since then as the most lowly-rated European league match is more profitable than AFCON matches,’’ he said.
The situation was the same in over six more viewing centres visited by NAN as the worst hit are AFCON matches played in the afternoon.
The few viewing centres which relayed AFCON matches at night do so when there are no European matches on display and when they are dominated by bored, die-hard soccer fans.
Miss Okwuchukwu Agom, a student and soccer buff, noted that aside Nigeria’s non-participation and non-parade of the continent’s big stars, erratic electricity supply was another contributory factor.
“It is difficult for fans to purchase fuel in these hard times to watch AFCON matches, a situation only obtainable when Nigeria is involved.
“The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) should do all within its powers to ensure the nation’s qualification for the 2019 AFCON, to rekindle the competition’s passion in soccer fans,’’ she said. (NAN)
RCO/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)