PRESS RELEASE
BBC World Service will be in the heart of Ghana to bring its most extensive coverage yet of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations to millions of football fans across Africa and the world.
Its three-week coverage from the biggest sporting event on the continent launches at 05.30 GMT on Friday 18 January with a special joint broadcast between two flagship programmes: The World Today and the BBC English for Africa breakfast news programme, Network Africa. And at 16.00 GMT the BBC’s English for Africa sports programme, Fast Track, announces the BBC’s African Footballer of the Year 2007.
The BBC’s 60 million weekly listeners in Africa will hear match commentary and special reports capturing the vibe and excitement of Ghana 2008 in a range of programmes while globally, special programming includes the dedicated 10-minute morning programme Africa Cup of Nations Daily, at 04.20 and 07.20 GMT, and two special editions of the interactive programme World Have Your Say Wednesday 30 January and Friday 1 February at 18.00 GMT.
News of every goal and incident will be delivered internationally on radio and online by the BBC’s best football experts and broadcasting talent. Audiences in Africa will be able to follow the tournament in nine languages - Arabic, English, French, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Portuguese, Somali and Swahili - while many more of the BBC’s remaining 24 language services will be reporting on the events. Both BBC Swahili and BBC Afrique (the BBC’s French language service for Africa) will be covering Ghana 2008 extensively including the popular Swahili football show Ulimwengu wa Soka and the BBC Afrique Sport Weekend. The BBC’s coverage of the final from the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra on Sunday 10 February begins at 16.00 GMT as the atmosphere starts to build.
Further information, minute-by-minute text and audio coverage and podcasts are also available on the BBC’s English language site, bbcworldservice.com/africanfootball and on the individual BBC language sites.
BBC World Service sports programmes covering Ghana 2008 include:
Fast Track - this English for Africa programme is presented by Farayi Mungazi . It has reporters at every game, bringing news and in-depth analysis on Mondays and Fridays at 16.00 GMT and Sundays at 17.30 GMT. Fans can participate by email: fast.track@bbc.co.uk or text: + 44 7786 20 20 08
Sportsworld broadcasts to a global audience, bringing all the action, reports and comments including big-name interviews. Russell Fuller is in Accra to present the opening and closing weekends. Every Saturday at 14.00 GMT and Sunday at 17.00 GMT (16.00 to Africa). Emails: sportsworld@bbc.co.uk, text: +44 7786 20 2004
World Football with Alan Green gets behind the scenes and tells the inside story of the world’s number one sport every Saturday morning at 07.30 and 11.30 GMT. Fans can download a podcast and email Alan via bbcworldservice.com/africanfootball
Sports Roundup will have bulletins of all the latest sports news including results, interviews and analysis each day with an extra edition each day of the tournament
Throughout the competition BBC World Service is on the ground connecting with fans at the main social hubs and internet cafes of the four host cities - Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi-Takoradi. They will distribute a vibrant Africa Cup of Nations wallchart allowing fans to update match results as the tournament progresses and a BBC car bumper sticker, postcard and T-shirt all specially designed for the games.
The internet cafés also provide an opportunity to demonstrate the BBC’s comprehensive BBC African football website, bbcworldservice.com/africanfootball and encourage fans to download a special wallpaper for their PCs. They also will be inspire to take up the BBC’s unique online challenge - a viral penalty shootout game fronted by Fast Track’s Farayi Mungazi which enables fans to “play” for their team and compete for a virtual trophy.
Vera Kwakofi, Editorial Co-ordinator of the BBC’s coverage of Ghana 2008 said: “This tournament promises to be a huge African football party, and BBC World Service will be at its centre with bigger, more comprehensive coverage than ever. As broadcasters and football lovers, we are looking forward to bringing this unique sporting event to our millions of listeners and online users across the world. We have an unrivalled team of African football experts who will bring all the news of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations to fans across the globe, and I know they will not be disappointed.”
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