Soccer Academy stokes debate

There are many aspects of football that qualify it as entertainment but the game itself hardly get categorised as such. The ongoing MTN Soccer Academy reality show on Metro TV stokes the debate. Is football entertainment or not?

Former international football star, Ghanaian-born Tony Baffoe who has been closely associated with the MTN Soccer Academy as a consultant, is very careful with his description. “Call it entertainment football”, he told Showbiz last Sunday night at the Academy’s third eviction show.

“On this reality show, we find as much entertainment as we find football. I believe that the format of the show allows that but strictly speaking, football is a serious game and should be recognised as such. Any entertainment that comes along with it is just a side show”.

For side shows, there have been lots at the MTN Sports Academy. Popular Ghanaian musicians Kwesi Pee, Shasha Marley, 4×4 and OD4 had already made their mark on the well-lit Academy playing field to perform before last Sunday. The latest artistes to rock the show were Boli, Scewface and Nana Quame.

Since releasing his “You May Kiss the Bride”, song a couple of years ago, Boli has not been prominent on the local performance circuit and his appearance on the MTN Sports Academy show was indeed his maiden appearance to many of the spectators present as well as Metro TV viewers.

Hiplifer Screwface made his entry on the wings of his characteristic high-power performance singing his hit song “Buei” which got many of the invite-only spectators on the limited stands dancing along with him.

One lad, unable to resist the urge to sing, actually grabbed Screwface’s microphone and enjoyed his minute of fame.

Good old Nana Quame. Can anyone forget him so easily? Wherever he has performed, memories of his great voice have remained long after. Last Sunday, however, his back-up dancers threatened to take the shine off the singer. Didn’t the three girls work their back sides!

Beyond the shaking of backsides and all the entertainment that went with it, the focus of the evening remained on the team mates who treated spectators to a fast-paced five-a-side football match which recorded as many as eleven goals with six going the way of the MTN team and five for the Metro TV team.

Last Sunday, there was the traditional eviction show programme of events comprising a raffle draw, announcement of SMS winners, election of the week’s Academy captain - Gideon Baah, and the eviction of one team mate.

The scheduled activities of the week -quizzes, football matches, visits to sponsors, meeting with celebrities, fitness and skills activities and confessions continue during the week.

Come Saturday, when the team mates let themselves go at the Yegoala Night Club, Showbiz will make a date with them to find out which of them is good at “getting down on it”.