amount of listeners across Africa but particularly in West Africa, so in Ghana and Nigeria. That’s our hotbed, that’s where we have millions and millions of listeners.
African football is a huge part of our remit, we really want to be across all the stories and covering the games. That will be the same thing at the Africa Cup of Nations as well. We will have a big focus on the tournament, we will have reporters out there and in the various countries, seeing how it’s being viewed across Africa. It’s a big interest for me and big passion for me but it is a big part of my job as well.
I’m going to put you on the spot. Who do you think will win Afcon and why? You’re only allowed once choice.
I'd have to say Cameroon...
Sorry…Cameroon!?
[laughs] Yes, Cameroon. I think they are looking great, brilliant in qualifying and there is no off-field drama.
I stayed in the team hotel with Cameroon in their final World Cup qualifier against Tunisia last year, and everything about Cameroon was a soap opera. There weren’t any incidents actually during that the time but everyone was waiting for some drama to happen, and this drama seemed to follow the team everywhere it went. Since the World Cup, though, Volker Finke seems to have got rid of that off-field drama. It seems to be all
watching the football league in England. From my relatively new experience, that’s definitely true.
If you want a real view of African football don’t go to a Cup of Nations – although do eventually go to one as that is an incredible experience – but go to a qualifier in one of the west African countries or one of North African countries and watch a game where the home support are getting behind the team, because just for a few days the atmosphere is incredible and takes over whichever city it is in.
The Cup of Nations is great, and especially if you’re covering the host. I was lucky enough in Gabon to cover hosts Gabon and for every Gabon game and every South Africa game in 2013 the home support was fantastic. And you do get groups of supporters travelling like the Algerian fans, who are notoriously fantastic, and Moroccan fans.
But to get a real sense of African football I would say go to a World Cup qualifier or Cup of Nations qualifier.
Is the African football angle something you incorporated into your work or a part of your remit?
t’s a big part of our remit at World Service. BBC World Service Sport is what I work on so I work for a number of shows. World Football is one of our shows. We have got Sportsworld, which is our weekend programme and Sport Today which is our daily programme. We have got a huge