Fox analysts draw criticism for racial tropes used during Nigeria-Germany match
Germany asserted itself as one of the Women’s World Cup favorites on Saturday with a 3-0 dispatching of Nigeria, but one of the biggest takeaways for many fans came from the broadcast booth.
Fox broadcasters Lisa Byington and Cat Whitehill received some harsh criticism after the pair’s analysis of Nigeria, one of two African nations to make to the round of 16, made a little too much about about the country’s athleticism and its European coach.
Two comments captured by Deadspin showed the worst of it, the first coming within the first 10 minutes of play when Byington uncritically passed along a quote from Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg that lumped Nigeria in with all African teams:
Byington: “Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has said it’s always tough to play the African sides. Good mentality with their pace and physicality. Something obviously you can always expect.”
Whitehill, a former USWNT player, went a step further shortly before halftime when she credited Nigeria’s first knockout stage appearance since 1999 to the federation bringing in a coach to ... coach the players.
Whitehill: “Somehow Nigeria keeps making it into the World Cup and they’re finally, with [Thomas] Dennerby, getting a proper coach to teach them proper tactical and technical aspects to their game. I think it’s exciting for Nigeria. They’re finally, you know, looking like a side that can compete. “
The Swedish Dennerby, as you might expect, is white. Whitehill also reportedly said earlier in the match that Dennerby’s European heritage would help him prepare against Germany.
One can only wonder how Cameroon, the other African nation to reach the knockout stage, made it with a Cameroonian coach in Alain Djeumfa.
Soon enough, viewers were jumping on Byington and Whitehill’s analysis on Twitter.
African team playing? You already know what time it is: pic.twitter.com/sXjPFPu7Sg
— A West (@ayyy_west) June 22, 2019
"Somehow Nigeria keeps making it to the World Cup based on their athleticism but they finally brought in a European to teach them tactics" okay please don't let Cat Whitehill ever commentate on an African team again, thanks.
— Charles Olney (@olneyce) June 22, 2019
Okay, Cat Whitehill needs to chill with the consistent stereotyping of the Nigerian team. They have other qualities besides their athleticism and their European coach is NOT the only reason they’re better organized this year. #GERNGA
— The Opener (@theopenersoccer) June 22, 2019
#NGA have some remarkably technical young forwards so it’s very disappointing it took 80 seconds for the broadcast to lazily warn #GER of Nigeria’s “athleticism.”
— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) June 22, 2019
#NGA have some remarkably technical young forwards so it’s very disappointing it took 80 seconds for the broadcast to lazily warn #GER of Nigeria’s “athleticism.”
— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) June 22, 2019
Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports also recorded a video criticizing the use of stereotypes in analysis of African teams, though he didn’t call out any announcer or writer by name.
Let's talk about how all of us talk about African teams and black soccer players. How often do you hear "high soccer IQ"? How often do you hear "pace and power"? (With a nod to the late, great Stephen Keshi.)pic.twitter.com/VeiofxNNUX
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) June 22, 2019
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