Producer Timotay out in the US.

Producer Timotay (Tim) is out in the US experiencing the World Cup first hand and he has fallen in love with Senegal.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello. Uh hello, I'm David Jesse, aka D G. What's going on? I am Governor B and welcome to Afcanet, the first ever podcast that truly celebrates the football of Africa, its players, and their impact around the world. It's here at the 2026 World Cup. The biggest ever in the competition's history. With 48 teams, three host nations, and 104 games. A record 10 African nations are represented in this competition. And Gov and I are loving the football.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

We are. It's probably still warming. But um as I watch every game, me and my son, he's six now, he's super into football. When he wakes up, we'll watch the highlights. I feel like it's it's coming, man, and there's been some some great matches so far.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

So nice, you know. So my boy wasn't really into football, uh, and still isn't. But if an African team is playing, he will you'll see him creep downstairs, say we'll scanner, we'll scanner. And uh it's been quite nice, you know, to just sit with him and watch a little bit. My daughter's all over, she's into football, you know, it's and it's and it's lovely. Um but uh yeah, it's nice and just as a family to kind of sit and and get into it. So it's it has been a reward to uh to have that enjoyment in the house. Um what else contributed to you not getting World Cup fever till later?

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Um I guess in addition to just life being quite busy at the moment with work, I kind of compartmentalized the World Cup in my head. So I was almost like, when it starts, I'll get into it then. There wasn't a lot of kind of pre-excitement, but now it's here. Um I'm ready. And I was asked by ITV last week to do a voiceover for the England game. So they were trying to get a bit more creative with the graphics that you see with the team lineups before the game starts. So while I was doing that voiceover, um it was Ezri Concer who was starting, and the line was Ezri Concer Repping Newham, and I'm from Newham. Um so there was a bit of magic in that because I'm like rah man, like a guy that grew up in my ends is now starting at a World Cup. Um that's pretty amazing, you know. I mean, walking the same streets, going to the same schools, all that kind of stuff. So I think that all kind of contributed to me, in addition to being a dad, um, getting the World Cup fever, and then obviously it's a bit tricky. I don't know how you're kind of navigating this, we haven't spoken about it properly, but England and Ghana being in the same group, and the allegiance thing is interesting because I'm a British-born Ghanaian, um, so it's it's strange. I want both teams to do well, obviously, but I don't know how I'm gonna feel when they play each other. I would have loved for it to be the third game, and both teams had already qualified, so it didn't matter as much, but it's the second game, so it's it's big for both teams, you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Yeah, it's interesting. I was speaking to uh my guy at the gym, Nana, and he said, I will just I'll take a draw. I just want a draw. It's it's so interesting for me. Like, never before has this happened in international competition. Um and so I was asked this recently, and and for me it comes down to love. Like, I love England, yeah. It's where I was born, it's where my kids were born, uh, it's where I met my wife, it's where I got married, it's where I all my schooling, where I learned to play the game of football and learnt how to support a football team was in England. Um, yeah, for me it's it's about love. I'm very fortunate to have experienced a kind of love that's that I would say is akin to unconditional from my parents, you know. Um and that is really gorgeous and addictive to have. And England I've given a lot of love to and I've had a lot of love from, but I've also been reminded uh when Saka misses a penalty or Rashford misses a penalty. I've been reminded uh of something, and now I think both you and I um we walk in a light that that that sort of negativity is not going to affect us or knock us off our path. I think the body holds a certain amount of trauma, and so um I wonder when when the whistle goes, and I won't really know until the game whether those things will play a part in which which flag I'm I'm waving. But it's the England I mean we've got to talk about the England team because I mean they look incredible. Uh they look really, really sharp and they look like they've not come to to play, they've not come to just participate, you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

Yeah, no, that was the the second half, like you say, was the best I've seen England play in a long time, and they never really look like losing. Where sometimes I think I I read a stat earlier that this is the first time they've beaten a a top fifteen ranked team in a major competition for something like fifteen years, I think can't remember the last game. Yeah, first time they've beaten a top fifteen ranked team um in a number of years, which is pretty well.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Wait, so didn't we get to like semis and and finals? We we've had easier paths then. Is that is that what they're saying?

SPEAKER_01 5:45

I believe so. So at the time that we got to the semis and the finals, the teams that we played en route must not have been top 15 ranked by FIFA, yeah. So bearing that in mind, we've we've come away a long way. I think obviously there were question marks with some of the bigger names that Tuchel left out, but you were really able to see in that game that he prioritised the style of play and chose players that fit fitted the way that he wanted to play, rather than traditionally we've always gone for just the best players, right? Even if they don't fit the system. So yeah, man, we'll see. It was a great, great second half. We'll see. Standout moment for you. Um I'm not gonna say Cape Verde because that's just so obvious. I think that's that's probably when World Cup fever hit and that this is what it's about. Um, so that goes without saying, but I would say just because he's a friend that that I met through my work with West Ham, but seeing Aaron Wambasaka's performance for Congo and them able to get a draw against Portugal and him having a flawless game, like an untold amount of tackles, just kind of making people remember why Man United spent all that money on him and how like 1v1 defending, I don't think there's many better players. So I was just filled with an immense sense of pride. Um, I saw videos of a friend of the show, Eddie Caddy, hosting an event for Congolese fans and how excited they got when they scored. For me, that was like, ah man, I know I'm Ghanaian, but that's that's amazing, man. I love that for them.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Yeah, yeah. We were we were we were all Congolese in that moment. It's uh and they know how to party, bro. They really know how to get down. I think we do as well, but uh yeah, um I'm I'm really enjoying the moments where um where humans connect, you know. Um I saw a beautiful thing of a a shirt swap uh i in the in the crowd uh after the Spain Cape Verde game and um and I I love stuff like that. I do, I do. I think later on in the in the competition, then I'm looking at goals and like incredible uh skill moments and whatever, but for me the like these moments off the field that um that are just counter to some of the other stuff that's going on in the world right now is to me is beautiful. Uh so due to uh the two of us being here, what we've done is we have sent our wonderful uh producer Timote to uh the US of A. Uh not because we thought he wouldn't have visa issues, but Timothy, let me start. Let me start let me start, Timothy. How long did it take you to get through uh immigration? Where did you go? Do you go to New York? Did you fly to the next one?

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah, flew into New York, walk straight through.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Straight. Great, great, great. Mate, it's so good to have you on here. Um thanks guys, it's great to be back. Great to see you, yeah. What um so you're out there, we see you're supporting a Senegal cap. Tell us a bit about the cap. How did you acquire it? What's the sitch?

SPEAKER_02 9:14

Well, I think, David, uh, I know this of you too. Sadio Mane is my guy, man. I mean, the he was my favourite Liverpool player whilst he was there, even with the great Mo Salah. Um, just love him, love the way he plays, uh, the things he can do. Um so I was lucky enough to go to the the France Senegal game. Um, and uh and it was epic, and I got this there and met some lovely Senegalese fans. Uh atmosphere was incredible. Um, and the stadium was nuts, and uh it was a really, really good game. Um I actually think Senegal were the better team for the first half. Um and then um once the once we got into the second half, I I also think the drinks breaks had a little bit of a reset for France. But it was the subs. I mean they brought on Bradley Barkler, they brought on Cherky, who for me is like the standout city player, standout city player this season didn't start for them. And um, you know, I think that was the point. But I would say Sandio the Man, probably lucky about that pen. We were all everyone, we were watching it in the stands, you could tell it was a pen. So is the the ref was not giving anything that it was like a bloodbath out there, and he was like, it's fine, carry on. It was nuts. He was not letting he was just not blowing up. I mean, it was I guess he was consistent in that, but that to be called over um and observe it, see for himself, and then still decide that he was right in the first place is kind of a bit nuts. Um but I think that like yeah, uh it's brazen. I think um it's one of the things I think we might see more and more through this tournament is um is that the the big powerhouse teams are able to ring the subs, bring on four or five players, and keep that energy and keep that drive going. And I think that this the smaller teams who have that great first team is a bit like the premiership, isn't it? You know, towards the end of a game, they can just influence a game like that, and um, that's what I've observed so far, um, in terms of in terms of at least that specific game.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Um quickly on that game, what was it like watching Michael Elise in person? Obviously, we've all seen what he can do in the Premier League, but it feels like he's just improved so much. For me, watching a game, he looks like the standout player, Algerian mother, Nigerian father, African roots there. Did he look like different gravy compared to to the rest?

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Um Alise was a little quiet, um, but but there's no doubt of his ability. Um the French just it's interesting. I think the French have uh unbelievable ability, but I think they can be got at. Um I was really impressed with Senegal. Like I said, the first half, they were the better team. They probably should have led. The you know, um Saar, number 18 Saar, was absolutely amazing. He was a nightmare for their defense, his pace is ridiculous. Um but he's got it all, and you know, I don't know if you remember that that shot that came back off the post and then off the keeper's boot and out. They was France were lucky, they were fortunate, and then they just they just switched up a gear. And when you've got Mbappe on the field, the you know, he's a difference maker. Um, in terms of like football, just talking about football as well. I I also felt um you know Morocco really were the better team against against Brazil. They look really good. And the surprising thing for me is how how different they look under the new coach, you know, um really attacking, really dynamic. Um, and when you talk about England, and it's the same thing. I was not expecting with Thomas Tukal a team to come out and play like that. And uh it's like the handbrake was off, and it was joyous, you know, it was joyous to watch England do that, joyous to watch Morocco do that. Morocco looked like a real team. Um, so yeah, I think Senegal were unlucky. I don't think their World Cup is over by any stretch. Um, I think that yeah, we're gonna see several African nations run deep. The question mark for me is the squad in depth. When you look at the look at look at England, look at the subs that they brought on. I mean, they brought on yeah to bring on Saka and Rashford is ridiculous. You know, it's nuts. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Um, what's it feeling like in America? Is World Cup fever here?

SPEAKER_02 13:58

What's the um Yeah, so it's really an interesting question. Um, so I think everything that I'm about to say, we have to couch within the the the prism of the disgraceful immigration issues that have gone on here and um a government that's bordering on authoritarian in its approach uh to the rest of the world and internally as well. So it's hard to put that to one side, but I guess we kind of just have to just talk about the event of the World Cup. Um I think it was a slow burner, maybe like it was back home. Um there's been a huge sporting event out here, which was the Knicks winning the NBA finals, which has kind of dominated the sports media. Um, they haven't done it in 30, 40 years. 53, there you go. Jalen Bronson, standout um player for them, was absolutely unbelievable. There's been an enormous uh parade this week in in New York, so so that's sort of dominated it. However, um the football is taking over, and um again, we just talked about Morocco and a new coach. Pochettino has got the USA playing football I've never seen them play before. I I mean, uh sorry, Gov, I'm gonna have to say it. It's heavy metal football. It's like what Jürgen Klopp was teaching everyone to do. It's remarkable.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Feel free to say what you need to say on that. Bro, it is it's wonderful to have you out there. I'm sure we'll be we'll be checking in with you some more. Umdeed. Yeah, get to uh get to a Ghana game next, get yourself some gel off rice and stuff. Thank you so much. Hey Thanks, guys, see you soon. Bye. See you, brother. Bye bye.