By Simbo Olorunfemi
We are told not to judge a book by its Cover.
But, I tell you, in the publishing business, we know that there is a lot of judging by the cover.
For that reason, a lot of attention is usually invested into crafting the title and making the cover attractive, not only aesthetically, but in terms of its communicative value, because people can’t help but judge a book by its cover.
Hey! I plead guilty! Not only for having judged a few books by the cover, but for judging one particular book by the cover, that being Sarina Wiegman, England’s Women Football Head Coach.
I have always been intrigued by her steely composure. Her dour demeanour and really serious look at the touchline was an indication, to me, that she was a no-nonsense Coach (person) with little or no time for anything else but Football.
Her success, first as a player, but more spectacularly as a Coach, first with her home country (Netherlands), and now England, with which she has now won the Euro Cup for the second time, making it the third straight win for her, being proof that she has the midas touch.
That, I instinctively attributed to her industry, passion for the game, relentless drive for success, eye for detail, a winning mentality, self-discipline, and a streak of stubbornness.
I wasn’t surprised to hear from the Commentators in the England-Spain match that she had come under criticism for being slow to make changes in the team and all that. That self-assured stubbornness, I was sure of, was in her DNA.
I had read so much of the cover, having paid a bit of attention to her during the last World Cup and the last 2 Euro tournaments, that what played out at the Celebration party for the team caught me by surprise, just like many others.
I could have easily taken a bet, if asked to, that she couldn’t have possibly known a musician by the name, Burna Boy. To see that he was not only one of her favourite artists, but seeing her singing a song some of us don’t even know, word for word, was so good to see. She evidently enjoyed herself, vibing along, as if it was a collabo between herself and Burna Boy. It was such a pleasant surprise and beautiful sight to behold. Who would have known that there was this other side to Sarina?
The shock on the faces of the players at her reaction on seeing Burna Boy was priceless. One of the players, Esme Morgan captured it in her reaction, speaking to BBC Sport: “Her face when they brought Burna Boy out was a picture. None of us could believe it, to be honest.”
Even Sarina confessed to her shock. She said: “I was very flabbergasted…But I thought: ‘I’m going to take my moment with him so let’s have a little dance with him’.
“I like to dance and I like his music but I totally didn’t expect him, so it was such a surprise and I think everyone went out of their mind.”
Whoever came up with the idea of bringing Burna Boy come to play at that event is a Genius! That was a masterstroke.
It was said to have started at a Press Conference, where she had mentioned Burna Boy as one of her favourite artistes, and of the top acts on her current playlist on Spotify.
Glad to see Nigeria again take the centre stage at what was supposed to be a ‘local’ event for England.
It just reminds us of the tremendous success we are capable of making on the diplomatic front, if we will deftly put to use our cultural diplomatic assets to enhance our soft power quotient.
In the world we live in, it is a battle for the minds and what a country might not be able to achieve with hard power, it can accomplish through strategic use of soft power.
Happy for Burna Boy. Happy for Sarina.
Now, we have. another reason to always remember not to judge a book by its cover.
