A review of Akindeji Olorunyolemi’s book, ‘My Football Visits on Facebook’, by Kunle Oladele.
“MY Football Walkabouts on Facebook”, authored by Akindeji Olorunyolemi and published by Lord Keynes Publishing Company Limited in 2024, is a collection of materials from Facebook pages about football, footballers, managers and associated events, dedicated to two great players. which made the thick round leather game into the current generation.
Let me first admit that this is my first outing in a book review. Interestingly, the book deals with a subject I know very little about. However, as I read the pages of the book, I realized that the author had pulled off a masterstroke in converting a football novice like me into a learner and aspiring football lover. I appreciate him for that.
This 321-page book is a collection of football information drawn largely from Facebook pages about players, managers, actors, heroes, events, history makers and major football issues. The author presents online football-related materials from a written perspective with a view to enriching readers’ options, particularly regarding offline access to these materials. It has compiled football stories of varied content with illustrated presentations of football characters and activities around the world covering a given period and for the reading pleasure of football lovers. The book also captured numerous touchpoints on high-profile footballers selected based on the priority attention they received on social media platforms.
In fact, football is primarily about the footballers and other players whose combined roles define the game. This book presents interesting information and materials about the world’s most popular sport in a readable form, featuring profiles, pictures and opinions on selected players, managers, coaches and presidents. In this book you will find facts and figures about the world of football. Knowing that a book is a means of sharing valuable ideas with people, My Football Walkabouts on Facebook offers those who are unaware or unfamiliar with the availability of such resources on the Internet the opportunity to read the same materials in the pages of this book.
The first 108 pages of the book feature profiles and vivid images of world-famous footballers from different clubs and teams around the world. Players are featured in dedicated pages including each player’s key quotes, thoughts and opinions on their professional adventures. It also presents the nuances of the opinions of club executives, presidents, colleagues, teammates and other notable players in the sport, as well as their victories and defeats on the field.
Starting on page 109, the book draws attention to the presentation of selected coaches, managers and club presidents in their current and past engagements. This section of the book gives readers an insight into the thoughts and idiosyncrasies of the figures who administered and shaped the growth and performance of football at club, national and international levels.
The book captures exciting moments and developments surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the first-ever World Cup hosted by an Arab country. The book revealed many unique off-field issues that defined the tournament. For example, the host country’s ability to use technology to convert extreme weather conditions peaking around 5,000 °C (1,220 °F) to produce electricity to power electric fans that cool the environment . The book also mentions the intersection between football and the Arab country’s culture, particularly regarding alcohol consumption. The book highlights many exciting moments from the 2022 World Cup, such as French President Emmanuel Macron cheering on the French team and consoling Kylian Mbappe after the team lost to the Argentines in the final.
For every project, there is always room for improvement. The same goes for this book under review.
The layout of the pages assigned to individual characters is not clearly separated, some readers may have difficulty knowing where each section begins and ends.
The subject matter of the book is quite dynamic and rapidly changing, which is why the book and its contents may become static and outdated if not constantly revised.
It is also worth noting that the book did not pay much attention to African football and footballers, despite the level of development of the sport on the continent. This could be because the author primarily relied on Facebook and took little consideration of other sources.
No doubt, the author, Akindeji Olorunyolemi, is a football enthusiast, who once laced his boots for his school team, he continues to demonstrate his love for the sport by producing this book.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that the book filled a void. Deji has chosen an excellent medium to involve football fans by writing this interesting treatise. I congratulate him and recommend “My Foot Walkabouts on Facebook” for the reading pleasure of all football enthusiasts and the general public.
READ ALSO : Police arrest man and wife for producing fake wine in Lagos
