Africa Is a Country

Boss Player

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Boss Player

By
Sean Jacobs

The BBC news presenter Komla Dumor, who passed away this weekend from cardiac arrest, was an exceptional broadcaster; read Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie’s obit here. Everyone loved him. He was probably the most stylish newscaster also, and was well on his way to becoming the first globally recognized superstar news presenter originating from the continent. Dumor took journalism seriously. Just watch his last big interview where he took on Rwanda’s Ambassador to the UK about that country’s habit of murdering opposition figures. Dumor, known as Boss Player, also loved sport, basketball (he had skills), and, above all, the beautiful game. He especially loved his Ghana’s Black Stars.

Like here during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when Superman style, he ripped his shirt open to reveal his true identity:

Or last November when he celebrated Ghana’s qualification for Brazil 2014 by donning a lekarapa. And he seemed genuinely happy–like a fan–around footballers; like when he met Victor Moses (Liverpool and Nigeria) or thanked Sulley Muntari (AC Milan and Ghana) for the signed shirt for his son.

But it is this video, below–when Peter Okwoche, the BBC Focus on Africa sports presenter, challenged Komla to a game of keepie-uppie–that is my favorite memory of the Boss Player:

RIP Boss Player.

Further Reading

Rebuilding Algeria’s oceans

Grassroots activists and marine scientists in Algeria are building artificial reefs to restore biodiversity and sustain fishing communities, but scaling up requires more than passion—it needs institutional support and political will.

Ibaaku’s space race

Through Afro-futurist soundscapes blending tradition and innovation, Ibaaku’s new album, ‘Joola Jazz,’ reshapes Dakar’s cultural rhythm and challenges the legacy of Négritude.

An allegiance to abusers

This weekend, Chris Brown will perform two sold-out concerts in South Africa. His relationship to the country reveals the twisted dynamic between a black American artist with a track record of violence and a country happy to receive him.

Shell’s exit scam

Shell’s so-called divestment from Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a calculated move to evade accountability, leaving behind both environmental and economic devastation.

Africa’s sibling rivalry

Nigeria and South Africa have a fraught relationship marked by xenophobia, economic competition, and cultural exchange. The Nigerian Scam are joined by Khanya Mtshali to discuss the dynamics shaping these tensions on the AIAC podcast.

The price of power

Ghana’s election has brought another handover between the country’s two main parties. Yet behind the scenes lies a flawed system where wealth can buy political office.

Beats of defiance

From the streets of Khartoum to exile abroad, Sudanese hip-hop artists have turned music into a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and the preservation of collective memory.