Already the 2026 Fifa World Cup has entered its final week. How fast time flies, when you consider that it was only recently that we watched Mexico and South Africa play out the opening fixture of the tournament.
Yet, now, we are into the last four of England, France, Argentina and Spain. On the field, there have been many thrills and spills. I am sure we will have a lot to talk about this tournament for many years to come.
From the fact that it was the biggest ever tournament with 48 teams to the referee/VAR controversies, and all the geopolitics that has been at play throughout. In light of that, something recently hit me. My mind raced back to the 2002 Fifa World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
Beyond the fact that it was the first one to be hosted in Asia, it was the one tournament that I was so fully invested in, because of the amount of work I did in it.
THE WORLD CUP PUNDIT
You see, it was then, that the Buganda-owned CBS FM gave me my breakthrough opportunity as an analyst. As a sports journalist, I entered into fresh territory.
While at previous World Cup tournaments, I just watched the games for the pleasure of it, 24 years ago, on CBS FM, I had to watch for the tactical interpretations that the listeners needed when watching these games.
It was a memorable experience, but a new one too. I had not analyzed a football tournament before until the CBS programs manager Hajji Abby Mukiibi Nkaaga asked me to do it. I had been a sports panellist on the CBS night sports show `Akati k’eby’emizannyo’ moderated by Mukiibi himself every Tuesday, then.
Of course, I was elated and grabbed this rare opportunity with two hands. At the time, I was a senior reporter at The Monitor newspaper. But I had to take leave for one month in order to concentrate on the World Cup.
For one reason or another, the circumstances building up to the tournament, felt like I was going to South Korea/Japan, to live the true World Cup experience, since I was not going to report for The Monitor while the tournament was played. The 2002 FIFA World Cup was a unique one.
It was played at awkward hours due to the different time zones between Asia and Africa. Most matches were played in the morning, while others were staged in the early afternoon.
The late games were normally played at 1pm East African time. During that time, I worked with some of the best radio commentators: Ahmed Bogere Masembe (sports editor) and Mutyaba Katamba (reporter).
By then, CBS had just lost sports editor Stuart Mutebi Kiwanuka (RIP), who had joined the Lubaga- based Super FM, therefore, with my experience and knowledge of the game, I was in a good position to ensure that the production was good.
MY SIXTH WORLD CUP
By then, I had watched five World Cup tournaments. So, I had a good background about the tournament and most of the teams that had qualified for it. Having watched a majority of these players playing for their European clubs in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy, I had a good database on most.
That made my interaction with the in-callers during game breaks, who had lots of questions, an engaging experience. But one also, that did not just tease and challenge me.
It ensured that I was on top of my game about the players statistics and tournament details. I realized during this time, that top football commentators and analysts (pundits) need a lot of logistical and infrastructure support.
That is exactly what CBS FM ensured was in place to enable me do my work to great effect. With computers and the Internet provided, I was able to do a lot of extensive reading about the teams, which was handy.
TALKING POINTS
The 2002 tournament simply remains unforgettable for a number of reasons. The Brazil front trio of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo took that tournament by storm. They were a nightmare for many defences.
Perhaps, the same had been expected from the defending champions France. With the likes of Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, David Trezeguet, Djibril Cisse, Youri Djorkaeff, and Marcel Desailly among others, they looked a formidable team. Yet, they ended up underwhelming.
It was a shock to many that for all the firepower in the French team, they did not make it out of the group. In addition, they did not even “hit the proverbial post” , if you know what I mean.
For France’s first tormentor, Senegal, who were appearing at their first World Cup, ending up at the quarter-finals, was a remarkable feat I enjoyed discussing as an analyst during the tournament.
The El-Hadji Diouf effect was hard to miss in that Senegal team. Yet, like France, the Argentines, who boasted some of the best players in the tournament, had a forgettable experience, too.
Argentina also did not make it out of the group despite having world class top players like Juan Sebastian Veron, Gabriel Batistuta and Hernan Crespo. But as usual, the English hype was raised when England beat Argentina in the group phase.
While they had an interesting run in the tournament, under the guidance of Swedish coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, now deceased, Brazil proved too much for them.
LESSONS
The 2002 tournament did not make me a better journalist, but it improved my knowledge on the dynamics of electronic media. One has to invest time and resources in research to be at their best.
That experience as an analyst changed me. I read many local stories online and in main stream media but my conclusion was that some of my colleagues did not bother to do research for their articles, hence the errors in analysis and reporting.
Paying attention to detail is a key facet to covering major sporting events successfully. That is what covering the 2002 World Cup at CBS FM added to me!