There has been great debate about the SABC’s ability to broadcast the World Cup, their planned studio and their choice of local and international soccer analysts, before the World Cup has even started. Local analysts and presenters complained about the discrepancy in fees paid to them in comparison with their international counterparts. Be that as it may, the SABC could have done some more homework on broadcasting an event of the magnitude of the World Cup.
Here are some pointers:
For starters: Allow time before the game and after the game to capture the mood on and off the pitch. Show us how the winning team celebrates, show us the fans, in the stadium and the Fanparks and don’t just switch to your sport studio right after the final whistle has blown. Particularly embarrassing: We only got a glimpse of Nelson Mandela and his wife on the pitch before the finals. Where was the SABC? Were there no cameras allowed to show Madiba’s only public moment at the stadium at this World Cup? Instead, in the last 30 minutes leading up to the kick-off of the World Cup final in South Africa, the SABC is airing a trailer of the new upcoming evening soap opera – as if anybody would care at this moment. I repeat: this is the FINAL of the 2010 SOCCER WORLD CUP in SOUTH AFRICA, Nelson Mandela enters the pitch and the SABC shows us a soap opera preview. So much for priorities.
After the game: Don’t rely entirely on your expert panel but make sure that your team on or close to the pitch gets a glimpse and possibly one statement or two from a player or coach. Remember, these statements are available for free!
SABC expert panel: Yes, it’s true, Luiz Felipe Scolari comes with a huge price tag which might be frustrating for South Africa’s own analysts. But I am sure, once they coach Brazil to a World Cup title, they could ask for the same amount of money. Perhaps they did not know Scolari’s accolades well enough – the SABC sports team surely didn’t as he was introduced on screen as Portugal coach 2003 – 2008, and not as World Cup Winning Coach with Brazil in 2002, which is, in my humble opinion, the bigger achievement. I do however understand the outrage about appointments of “analysts” such as Bernard Lama. He was introduced as French Goalkeeper and World Cup Champion 1998, conveniently forgetting that the man between the goal posts in 1998 was actually Fabien Bartez, and Lama was only his deputy. I am not sure if he played a single game in that World Cup. I also understand that there is huge pride among African soccer experts over the successes of their respective countries but they should be briefed to be neutral when appointed as an analyst. Jay-Jay Okocha was the exception – but then, there was also nothing really to be proud of with Nigeria’s performance. All in all, more thought should have been placed into putting this expert panel together.
Walter Mokoena: Did a fairly good job in keeping his panel talking, but could have also done his homework better. For the record: Spain is not only the second team after Germany in 1974 to hold both the European and the World Championship title at the same time. There was France in 1998 and 2000. Seeing that Mokoena has set his eyes on moving to France to scout African players for European teams, this is a glitch that he better not repeat once he has settled in his new country of residence.
Generally as a host broadcaster, you should not be biased and openly support a particular team, apart from, of course, your own nation. Showing a feature of Spain in the time leading up to the final kick-off with a Viva Espana message and not covering Holland in equal measures is simply unprofessional.
And last but not least: HOW ON EARTH could you bore your audience with a pre-recorded message from your Chief Executive, read off the prompter, after the final game? All people want to see and hear at that stage are interviews, celebrations, clever commentary, analysis, but SURELY NOT Solly Mokoetle, talking about the great work the SABC has done over the World Cup. Let your viewers be the judge.