Our Sports Editor, Tony Ubani has made a promise that he sees as a pledge to his country, Nigeria.

“I’ll not sleep in Brazil, I promise you, I’ll not sleep.”

He was speaking to our Group Sports Editor, Onochie Anibeze who is currently holding forth as our Saturday Editor.

Onochie had taken that to mean how nosy and tireless he would be in search of good stories. It was more than that. Tony who spoke further, said: “Onochie, I’m not joking. I’ll not sleep in Brazil. I’m going with coffee, kola nuts and bitter kola.

And I’ll marry my laptop. These will be my weapons for the battle against sleep. Why should I sleep when Brazil, the home of football is hosting the World Cup? Why should I sleep when Nigeria is playing in the tournament and many Nigerians, rightly or wrongly, believe that their Eagles will reach the semifinal, their performance in the friendly matches notwithstanding?

Why should I sleep when I know the pressure you guys will have at home to produce the best sports pages in Nigeria? I’ll not sleep, I promise you. It is my pledge to our country. Let them forget Boko Haram and face our pages and get succour. Our stories will provide succour to Nigerians, I promise.”

Ubani was passionate about the coverage of the World Cup in Brazil. And this will reflect on our pages although Onochie pleaded with him to catch some sleep and avoid breaking down. Ubani dismissed Onochie’s fears, reassuring that he will be in Brazil to serve the readers the best of stories. He will report hard news, soft news, human interest stories, behind-the-scene stories, flicks, good and bad stories and will make the Eagles his focal point.

“It therefore pays the Eagles to remain in the tournament and get reported by us. If they crash out early, they will be forgotten easily, if they keep winning, they will remain not only our favourites but heroes of Nigeria. It pays them to be so adjudged.”

Tony leaves this night and while stepping out of the newsroom yesterday tersely said in Portuguese

“ você vai ouvir de mim. Obrigado.” Translated in English, it simply means “You’ll hear from me, thank you.”

Need we say more about what you will be reading on these pages from the World Cup?

Stay with us for the BEST stories from Brazil. Journey mercy, Tony Nwokeoma Ubani, the Maradona of Nigerian media.