Young Africans boss explains importance of strong media department for clubs

Young Africans SC and African Clubs Association [ACA] chairman Engineer Hersi Ally Said has explained the importance of a strong media department for African clubs.

Hersi is currently in South Africa with Yanga SC as they prepare to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday.

Yanga and Sundowns could not be separated in the first leg after playing a goalless at Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Tanzania last Saturday.

The Tanzania League reigning champions are looking to knock out the 2016 CAF Champions League winners to book their place in the semi-finals. Yanga qualified for the last eight of the Champions League for the first ever.

Meanwhile, in recent years, Yanga has established itself as the powerhouse of Africa, with a big presence on various media platforms and a massive fanbase.

HERSI ALLY SAID ON WHY STRONG MEDIA DEPARTMENT MAKES CLUBS SUCCESSFUL

Speaking to the South African Football Journalists Association [SAFJA] in Sandton on Wednesday, Hersi stressed that clubs without strong media departments compromise their value.

“One of the areas I built and concentrated on is the media department and it’s one of the strongest I can say in East Africa,” Hersi said.

“The Young Africans media department has done a lot under my leadership. For me, a strong media team can create maximum engagement between the club and society.

“You’ll have your information well spread and well taken care of, your agendas well set and distributed to society. But also adding value to the club. I mean, we have a lot of sponsors, and they’ll want to engage their products and brands through the club.

“If you don’t have a strong media department, you are also killing your value, and sponsors will not see the value of engaging with your club.

“Yes, we might have the football match playing and put the billboard up, but if you don’t have the best media team that can capture the best moments for the sponsors, then they don’t get the value.

“So you can’t run a club without a strong media team. They [media team] will give you visibility, and they will give you maximum engagements with your stakeholders. Now in Africa, this month I think we are the number one sports club with maximum visibility on YouTube which is also another source of revenue.”

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