Journalists from local media outlets, namely Rádio Watana and Mozanorte (mozanorteblogspot.com), were reportedly prevented on Wednesday afternoon from covering the football match between Ferroviário de Nacala and Associação Desportiva de Vilankulos, played at Ferroviário de Nacala’s stadium.
According to the journalists involved, the restriction was reportedly justified on the grounds that only Rádio Moçambique (RM) had been authorised to provide media coverage of the match.
Contacted at the venue, the president of Ferroviário de Nacala said he was unaware of which media outlets had been authorised to cover the game. The club official also expressed concern that the club could face sporting consequences if it failed to comply with possible instructions from the Mozambican Football League.
Another club official also confirmed that Rádio Moçambique had been authorised to provide coverage, while other local media outlets were excluded.
The incident has reignited debate over local media access to sports venues to cover football matches.
According to the local journalists, this was not the first time that members of the media had experienced difficulties accessing Ferroviário de Nacala’s facilities during matches in the National Football Championship, known as Moçambola.
The journalists are calling for greater openness and equal opportunities in accessing sporting events, in order to ensure that matches can be covered by different media outlets. (Gabriel Cassimo)
0 Comments