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Soccer Branding: The Story of European Soccer In Nigeria

Soccer Branding: The Story of European Soccer in Nigeria

By Eric Okeke

European soccer is making a very impact in Nigeria, captivating the minds and attention of soccer buffs, the young, and the young at heart, affecting the way Nigerians relax and unwind, and throwing up business opportunities for smart entrepreneurs.

And the story of this soccer brand is that of club support, fun, entertainment, gambling, and business in Nigeria, though the game is played thousands of kilometres  away. For Nigerians, soccer is the game and entertainment; football clubs and players are the brands; while viewing the matches is the business.

The big brands of European soccer making waves in Nigeria are, The UEFA Championships, and English Premier League. Whenever teams in these competitions engage themselves in competitive soccer for a cup, Nigerian fans are held spellbound. It is as if the match is being played In Nigeria.

Some fans are strong in their support of the clubs they love. Come and see the campaigns in Nigeria for these clubs before any crucial match. Sometimes, it is fanatical. And in many cases, it results in brawls and big fights between supporters of different European clubs.

The support of clubs sometimes goes beyond the ordinary. At times, emotions run high. The big names are Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and others. For these football clubs, their images loom large in Nigeria, and they command large followership of fans that are even prepared to trade blows, fight, or engage in heated arguments in support of their clubs. The impact of European soccer in Nigeria is so intense that it is shaping the way soccer fans relax and unwind amidst fun, food and drinks.

Two  European clubs that the largest crowd of supporters in Nigeria are Manchester United (Man U) and Chelsea. And the curious observer of the profile of these supporters will see clear distinctions or stratification in terms of social class, education, and income power. How?

Man U has captivated the fanatical support of the middle, professional and upper class, who have flat screen television sets at home, and subscribe to cable television. And after any win by this football club, you will hear shouts of, Man U for Life! by excited fans. This is followed by thronging of beer parlours and pepper soup joints in most cities in Nigeria to celebrate the wins. When they gather there and relish the win, you will hear agitated fans tell so many stories about the match; narrate all sorts of analysis and do rigorous discourse of the game that has just been played. After every big match, there is plenty of soccer storytelling in Nigeria.

Chelsea on the other hand is in total control of the masses, the lower class, the street boys, the motor park touts, jobless youths and street urchins poplularly known as area boys, in Lagos metropolis, Nigeria. They are more in number, are fanatical in their support for Chelsea, and are even prepared to die for the team.

Whenever Man U confronts Chelsea in a big match, there is tension in Lagos, even before the match day. The UEFA Cup Final for 2007 or 2008(I am not sure of the year now) between Man U and Chelsea was a storm in a tea cup in Lagos.

Seven days before the match, the tension was palpable in Lagos. Who will win the match? The big question triggered intense debates all over the city and sometimes resulted in pre-match fights between Man U and Chelsea supporters in Nigeria. Sports newspapers increased the tempo as they soaked supporters of both clubs with interviews, latest news and rave reviews of the clubs’ preparations, fitness of players, and the final match strategies.

Man U will win; we are Man U for Life! The club’s supporters will chant to the chagrin of Chelsea supporters who respond vociferously with Up Chelsea! Chelsea supporters in Lagos, outnumber the Man U for Life chanters. The Chelsea buffs are everywhere, more in the streets, marketplaces and motor parks. More than 80 per cent of commercial bus drivers in Lagos are die-hard Chelsea fans. And they are very loud. They can throw caution to the winds and fight anywhere with bottles, stones, any dangerous objects, especially if they are high on tobacco and reek of alcohol.

Not so with Man U supporters. They are more cultured, better educated and work in blue-collar and white collar jobs. They are more gentle and refined in their football behavior, though also  fanatical in their support for Man U, hence the slogan, Man U for Life, a clear indication they are not ready to switch their European Club brand loyalty, whether Man is winning or not. And in many cases, Man U wins.

Back to that epic Man U/Chelsea Final. Twenty-four hours to the match, the whole city of Lagos was drowned with the fever of the match. There were unconfirmed reports of clashes between supporters of both clubs in different parts of Lagos. Bus drivers and conductors fought, radio stations rent the air with pre-match reviews and interactive programmes for listeners to air their views on the outcome of the match.

Man U vs Chelsea was so thick in the air that many residents waited impatiently for the match to come and go. Match day, fans thronged viewing centres and beer parlours to watch the  game. If you want to enjoy the viewing of European soccer championships in Nigeria, do not watch it at home. Go to a viewing centre and sit with overzealous fans and listen to all sorts of stories and analysis as the match progresses. You can write a book full of such stories. Football storytelling is strong in Nigeria.

There is the story of a Manchester United fan, at home in Lagos, Nigeria, watching the epic final football match with Chelsea.  Suddenly there was power outage. He did not have a standby electric generator to power his television set. Desperate not to miss any action in the match, he dashed into a hotel that has a viewing centre. Unfortunately, the place was thronged by Chelsea fans.

He burst into the centre shouting Man U for Life. The Chelsea supporters there promptly threw him out. Man U eventually won that match to the chagrin of Chelsea fans. Oh! Hell was almost let loose in Lagos metropolis. Man U fans celebrated, though in a subdued tempo because Chelsea supporters almost went on rampage. So many blames by the Chelsea fans.  Oh! The  referee was partial; there was not enough extra time; Didier Drogba did not play well enough; so many blames but the fact remained that Man U won on penalty kicks after both teams drew level at the end of extra time.

Come and see celebrations by Man U  Fans. Three days later, they were still celebrating. Even married women joined in the fray. One madam, a Man U supporter threw open her restaurant and offered customers, ostensibly Man U fans, free drinks. The Man U fever is very strong in Nigeria. To say that Chelsea fans were… disappointed… that is being charitable; …bitter… yes, because that was the first time, I was told, their beloved club got very close to clinch the UEFA Cup. And they missed it.

Even the support for European clubs trickles down to families, sometimes breaching the peace at home, causing friction among children and creating challenges for parents in managing their childrens’ support for European soccer clubs

Take the story of my family of four sons (aged 17, 15, and 10) and a daughter who is just five, and does not know any club yet.  Chidubem my first boy is  a diehard supporter of Liverpool. Enter his room; you will see a life size poster-picture of the entire Liverpool team pasted on the wall. The second boy, Chibuzor, is a fanatical supporter of Barca. I had never heard that name before. When I asked him which club is that, he promptly told me, “Daddy, you are behind time,” chuckling. “Who is Barca,” I asked in amazement. “Barca means Barcelona,” he replied My boy taught me that. I thought I was current. Chika the youngest boy loves Chelsea.

Whenever their favourite teams wins or loses, come and see the commotion in my house. It could be jubilations, if it is a win, or taunts from other brothers if it is a loss. Should the match be between Liverpool, Barca, or Chelsea, there are fights in my house, so serious that that at times I have to threaten to discipline them if they continue to disturb the peace at home. The youngest boy Chika is always on the receiving end. Should Chelsea win Liverpool or Barca, the little boy is in trouble. The bigger brothers can even bully him if I or their mother is not around. On one occasion, they ran after him to beat him up, and he dashed off running to me for rescue. I did. If Chelsea loses, Oh! Come and see the taunts from the big brothers. In that situation, I usually placate Chika, assuring him that Chelsea will win another day. Such is the impact of European soccer on Nigerian families, sometimes polarizing family members.

It is not only European clubs that are celebrated in Nigeria. The players are revered too. Big names like Didier Drogba, David Beckam, Merci, Christian Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and many others are revered. They are not only big soccer brands in Nigeria, they are idols. Nigerian youths see them as status symbols and role models. The average Nigerian teenager has large size pictures of European soccer superstars pasted in their rooms. Nigerian youths know the movement and transfer fees of European soccer stars much more than that of Nigerian soccer stars also playing in European clubs.

The story of European soccer brands is not only about play. It is also about business. People gamble before matches, some even going into bets. Viewing centres are springing up all over Lagos fitted with flat screen tv’s and connected to cable television channels. Match fixtures are displayed on blackboards planted on street sidewalks for the attention of passersby. These centres charge gate fees for soccer fans who want to watch matches.

Some hotels and hospitality outfits have joined the fray of showing such matches to attract more patronage. Many of them on match days bring out flat screen television sets out in the open for  free viewing. But every patron watching the match is required to buy drinks.

But the viewing centres are running into trouble now with DSTV, the cable tv company in Africa that has the franchise to beam these football matches in the African continent. DSTV wants the viewing centres to pay fees or royalties to the company because they charge soccer fans money to match. The cable company’s position is that the channel is for home entertainment by subscribers, and if any patron charges money for viewing, the person or company has to pay something to DSTV .The viewing centres are crying foul, saying it will squeeze them out of business. A showdown is imminent.

Besides, there are many sports souvenirs… T Shirts…Pictures…Wall Papers…Give Aways  and other consumer items sporting European soccer stars and their clubs  are sold in Nigeria. It is big business. And there are many newspapers dedicated exclusively to football. They come in different shades of tabloids, are cheaper than mainstream newspapers, and are heavily patronized by soccer loving youths to keep track of the fortunes of their favourite players and clubs. However, club loyalty does not stop them from loving any player, and they sometimes wish the player they love sign -on for their favourite clubs. Merci, the youthful Barcelona player is loved by Nigerian  youngsters. They like his diminutive size and deft moves in the field of play. Nigerian youths believe this gifted Argentine boy has football sense. Same for the Brazilian, Ronaldinho.

And so anytime you see European soccer on air, know that the fever is very strong in Nigeria.

About the Author

Eric Okeke received MBA (Marketing) from ESUT Business School, Enugu, Nigeria. He is an editor, storyteller and media consultant.
He started journalism at The Guardian, Lagos, Nigeria. He is author of “I Want A Husband”, a self-help book for single women searching for Mr. Right. Email him at, ericosamba@yahoo.com

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