This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress-Rabat-Caf
Rabat. The ocher of the soil, the green of the palm trees, the white of the columns. It is in this light of Moroccan spring, in the heart of the Salmaiah room of the Barcelo Borj El Arab hotel, that twenty women gathered. They come from all over Africa – from Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Morocco – and have one thing in common: they carry the microphone, write the press releases, manage communicative crises, tell African football from the interior. These are the Media Officers. Invisible to the general public, essential behind the scenes.
And for the first time, the African Football Confederation (CAF) dedicates a workshop entirely turned towards them. A crucial meeting, one of the major objectives of which is to prepare upstream of the African CAF Totalnergies 2024 female nations cup, which will be held in Morocco from July 5 to 26. Because as this continental tournament is approaching, the quality of the story, the rigor of the media treatment, the impact of messages and the cohesion of communications become strategic.
His name: Her path: Born Winner. His ambition: to build, to train, to transmit. Its scope: much more than just a work session. “It’s a founding moment,” says Charlotte Eyoum, head of the CAF media. Because it is not only a question of strengthening skills. It is a question of asserting a space, of making visible an already very real energy. »»
A promise held
The presence of these women in Rabat is not the result of chance. It is the logical continuation of a commitment made loudly by the president of CAF, Dr. Patrice Word, in favor of an increased representation of women at all levels of African football. This program is also part of the wake of CAF Future Media Office Program, launched in 2021 to professionalize and densify the pool of communicators on the continent.
“In 2021, we were at the foot of the wall,” says Luxolo September, interim director of communication at CAF. The image of the institution was deceased. We had to rebuild everything. The year 2023 marked a crucial step with the organizational success of CAN in Côte d’Ivoire. This year, 2024, is that of transmission and the rise in competence. »»
In a sober tone, but no less inhabited, it unrolls the roadmap. Communication as a strategic pillar. Women as engines of a more inclusive story. And this simple idea, almost radical in an environment still so male: to trust.
“Become actresses of transformation”
Around the tables arranged in row in this conference room, the participants listen, take notes, ask questions. The energy is studious, but joyful. Some are journalists by training, others come from sports management, others have learned on the field, match after match, tournament after tournament. All have the same will: progress.
Charlotte Eyoum insists on the new opportunities that are created, especially in female competitions. “The change is there, palpable. We have managed to impose the presence of media office women in all the major CAF competitions. This was supported by training with zonal unions. And today, we have a rising, trained, committed, visible generation. »»
She also evokes bridges with more seasoned journalists, mentoring efforts, the collective momentum that is created. “When you are alone in a national federation, you can doubt, feel isolated. Here we understand that we are a force. »»
Silence, it frames
Then comes the time of the concrete. Christophe Kukawka, media consultant and aear ankle of the major FIFA competitions, enters the scene. In a direct tone, he embeds the assistance in the mysteries of media operations. Press stands, mixed areas, post-match conferences, accreditations, photographers briefings, use guides, crisis procedures: everything goes there.
But behind the technical terms, it is a philosophy that takes shape. That of an often overlooked, but absolutely vital profession in the mechanics of a tournament. “The Officer media is the one who allows information to circulate. Who reassures journalists, fluidifies interactions, also protects players, referees, officials. It introduces the notion of New Media Mixed Zone, a mixed area thought for the digital era, more interactive, more fluid, adapted to the instantaneity of social networks.
Women take on the challenge. Far from the clichés of a glamorous profession, it is a commitment of every moment, a logistical precision, an acute sense of timing. And a foolproof mental resistance.
Digital time
To vibrate the stages without balloon, you need pixels, vertical formats, playlists, tight plans. This is all the subject of the intervention of Sheriff Hassan, digital director and CAF marketing. He presents CAF Play, the federation’s digital platform, a showcase of an expanding African football.
“We have invested in the quality of production. Today, our content is resumed everywhere. We have crossed the million subscribers on several platforms. But that would not have been possible without a coherent strategy and without field relay like you. »»
He speaks commitment, storytelling, videos with emotional high range. He also evokes responsibility: that of telling, valuing, but also to respect. To have an ethics in virality.
Pioneer testimonies
The day ends with a round table between women. Five figures, Katy Touré (Côte d’Ivoire), Houyam Benhammou (Morocco), Usher Komugisha (Uganda), Soda Thiam (Senegal) and Cynthia Nzetia (RD Congo) respected of sports journalism and the administration of football share their trajectories, their doubts, their victories. Their words resonate like familiar echoes.
“The land is not a neutral place. You have to prove, again and again. But you also have to trust yourself, to impose yourself with serenity. »Assures Katy Touré, Director of Sports of RTI.
“The microphone you hold is not only a tool. It is an act of representation. Soda Thiam advances.
“Be bold, united, visible. And never forget that you are legitimate. »Concludes Houyam Benyammou, Media CAF and FIFA officer.
In the room, some speak for the first time. Others find a sister of commitment. All, leave with more than a notebook. They leave with a compass.
A plural feminine future
This first workshop marks a starting point, sketches a new way of thinking about communication in African football: more horizontal, more inclusive, more strategic.
“The movement is launched,” notes Luxolo September. They are the ones who will give him his direction. They are not there to appear, but to build. »»
In Rabat, the speeches have evolved by trying the certainties. And now they are the ones who write them. In the first person. And this time, women hold the microphone.
