The power that football and sports in general have in linking people of all ages, colours, backgrounds and races together is something incredible. How long can words describe it? Hell no! No amount of words can describe it.
Football has a unique way of bringing people and cultures together. Which profession will give a 15-year-old boy the opportunity to wine and dine with the top gurus?
The 2023 AFCON was probably the best in history as everything was on point. In terms of organisation, Ivory Coast and CAF did marvellously well. The football was great as the tournament could rival any major tournament played because it was full of fun, surprises and unpredictability.
Thousands of journalists across the globe trooped to Ivory Coast to witness a great tournament. From Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian to Micky Jnr, from Lorenz Kholer to Sadick Adams, among many others all attended.
Among the many other journalists, there was a teenager from Ghana who travelled from Kumasi to Ivory Coast to report stories from the AFCON to Akoma FM.
The story of Saeed Mohammed Kovacic, the 15-year-old Ghanaian journalist who sensationally covered the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast is one of the biggest highlights of the AFCON 2023. It is mind-blowing to think of a 15-year-old schoolboy thinking of attending a football festival outside his country.
Born in Alabar, a suburb in Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, the teenager is so crazy about football and has developed a great understanding of the game even at that young age.
Per the conversation we had when I met him during my coverage of the 13th All-African Games in Accra, I realised his understanding of the game is so special.
A second-year student at Islamic Senior High School in Abrepo, Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, Saeed is a General Arts student currently studying History, Government, Economics and Islamic Religious Studies. An avid fan of Asante Kotoko and Chelsea FC of London, the future is extremely bright for the teenage sports journalist.
He became popular when the skinny boy was spotted in Ivory Coast passionately enjoying the AFCON.
Saeed Kovacic portrayed his wonderful understanding of the game when Asempa FM, Adom TV and Angel TV had him on their sports shows. His in-depth knowledge of the game was unbelievable. The teenager shared his experience in the 2023 AFCON and his analysis of Morocco’s defeat to South Africa and Nigeria’s semi-final clash against South Africa was awesome. His analysis of Ghana’s recent problems in the AFCON was spot on.
What is left for the young prodigy is to learn and learn very well to be abreast with time and sharpen his mind.
The future is bright for Saeed Kovacic as he journeys through sports journalism. This is refreshing news for sports journalism in Ghana and Africa as a whole.
How many AFCONs and many other tournaments will Saeed attend by the time he is 60 years old? Your guess is as good as mine.
