MBC ready for Euro 2020

It is less than two days before kick-off of the popular UEFA Euro 2020 Championship to be hosted by Italy from 11 June, 2021 to 11 July, 2021.

Soccer fanatics in Malawi await patiently for the football action feast before the Afcon football action early next year. As usual, Malawians get divided in their affiliation to national teams at the Euro Championship, among other factors, because of the players they love as they watch them play in the English Premier League but at this point in time on national duty at for their respective countries within the European continent.

This reminds one of the time Malawi Television, now MBC Television, allowed Malawians to first watch this tournament free in the year 200 when our democracy was in its infancy. I vividly remember that the tournament was mostly watched on black and white television screens by most Malawians in their homes and that many of those screens bore the label President. I also remember that the current national coach for France, Didier Deschamps (then Captain for France), Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane were part of the French squad that beat Italy in the finals through the golden goal rule.

The Euro 2020 played in 2021 because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, kicks off this Friday and the good news is that MBC Television is set to bring all the action from Italy into homes of Malawian soccer loving fans from the first to the final day.

MBC senior sports journalist, Frank Kandu, says the tournament is bringing rare excitement this time around right into the homes of Malawians as the nation continues to urge its citizens to spend much of their time at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We should expect brilliant football played by brilliant national teams with brilliant players. Portugal, for example, has Christiano Ronaldo who could be playing his final tournament of this nature. Will he help his team to defend the championship? The English are saying they have assembled a strong squad which can reach the semis. Will it happen? We should expect a top exciting tournament on MBC Television,” explained the soft spoken Kandu.

Meanwhile, some soccer pundits have described Group F comprising of Hungary, Portugal, France and Germany as the group of death.

England is in Group D alongside Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic. Spain is in Group E alongside Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia while Italy’s Group A also comprises Turkey, Wales and Switzerland.

Go France go! If not, Go Germany go! (My usual wish at Euro and World Cup).

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