Former Wimbledon player, John Fashanu and four other ex-Super Eagles internationals, Taribo West, Austin Eguavoen, Mutiu Adepoju and Peterside Idah, have joined the growing list of football analysts contracted by Optima Sports Management International (OSMI) for the 2014 FIFA World Cup coverage.
OSMI, the exclusive 2014 FIFA World Cup terrestrial broadcast rights owners for the Nigerian territory, contracted Seyi Olofinjana a few weeks ago for the same purpose.
Fashanu, a striker, who had a thriving career in England spanning 1978 and 1995, won the 1988 FA Cup with Wimbledon and also featured for other clubs like: Norwich City, Miramar Rangers, Lincoln City, Crystal Palace, Millwall and Aston Villa.
West, a combative defender, won the French league and two French Cup titles with Auxerre before winning the EUFA Cup with Inter Milan in 1998. Other teams he played for included AC Milan, Derby County, Pertizan Belgrade, Kaiserslautern, among others. He had a total of 41 caps for the Super Eagles.
Eguavoen, a defender and former Super Eagles Coach, was a member of the Nigeria squad that qualified for the country’s first-ever World Cup in 1994, and won the African Nations Cup in the same year. He played for ACB of Lagos, Genk, Kortrijk, among others and played for the national team 53 times. As a coach, he has managed clubs like Sharks, Enyimba, COD United and Bendel Insurance.
Adepoju, popularly known as “The Headmaster” due to his exceptional heading ability, had most of his career in Spain with Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Real Santander. Before his foreign career, the attacking midfielder featured for Shooting Stars and Julius Berger on the domestic scene, while in a national team career that spanned 12 years, he donned the Super Eagles shirt 54 times.
Idah, a goalkeeper, had a flourishing career in Nigeria with various clubs like Sharks and Rangers before moving to South Africa where he played for Moroka Swallows. A TV pundit and pastor, Idah also won caps for the Super Eagles and worked as the team’s Media Coordinator.
Speaking on the star-studded crew, Mr. Kunle Falodun, OSMI Managing Director, said the desire to deliver a world-class broadcast coverage for the Nigerian audience was responsible for the quality of the crew.
He said: “We are pleased to announce the signing on of these football analysts who are household names in Nigeria. The depth of their football knowledge is amazing while the clarity of their thoughts and delivery is inspiring. We are excited that they are going to enrich the quality of our output for the World Cup broadcast. The overall goal of this is to deliver an unforgettable World Cup experience to Nigerians.”
Aside the analysts, OSMI has also appointed tested sports broadcasters and journalists that will serve as presenters of different ancillary shows during the World Cup. They include Paul Bassey, Tayo Balogun, Aisha Falode, Tunde Orebiyi, Temisan Okomi and Feyi Ogunduyile, among others.
