I took the longest road trip of my life last Friday. There is no gainsaying the massive landmass that the United States possess, easily more than the whole of West and Central Africa combined.
So, while covering major competitions, the smaller the country, the bigger the enjoyment and the bigger the country….. That’s the story of my coverage so far, where you spend more hours executing the trips and getting necessary rests than actual coverage.
Coming to America, I decided not to bite more than I can chew. My pre-tournament planning made me highlight the Eastern region as my scope of coverage. The region consists of New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto Canada, Miami and Atlanta
Choosing this region was also strategic for me, in that; there was at least one game in every round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in this Eastern region, including the July 19 final billed to hold at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
I was at the MetLife for the intriguing round of 16 clash between Brazil and Norway but that game signaled the start of some lengthy trips for me. The Brazil vs Norway game was the penultimate match hosted by the MetLife, with the last one being the final, two weeks later.
It meant that I now had to move out of New Jersey to cover and further explore the American landmass. Flights were booked to Atlanta from New Jersey and vice versa after the semi finals but in between, a visit to Miami had to be executed.
To save cost, a road trip had to be done. 17 hours? Well, no choice. Make no mistakes about it, it’s not my first lengthy trip. During my first World Cup coverage in Russia 2018, I did a 35-hour trip from Volgograd (venue of Nigeria’s win over Iceland) to St Petersburg), venue of our last group game against Argentina.
FLASHBACK: Russian Diary: Russian peck, better than Nigerian kiss
So if I had spent more than a day on a trip before, how about this, less than 24 hours? I embraced it for the love of the game. The journey started at 12:25am on Friday and I arrived Miami at about 5:25pm same day.
For a lengthy trip that started at midnight, the Nigerian in me was expecting someone to lead us in prayers however short it may be but I was snapped out of my Nigerian trance quickly when the driver just made announcements on the stops and we moved on.
The first leg of the trip lasted for seven hours, from Atlanta, Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. Well, I slept for most of those hours, being a midnight movement so it was seamless with my life in the hands of the driver and Baba God.
The last leg from Orlando, Florida to Miami, Florida was an interesting one for me. The lady that drove the 60-seater bus was so fired up that even passengers were scared at some point. You wonder if she had some appointment with Lewis Hamilton.
A lovely time in Miami
I was first captivated by the slogan of the state of Florida; the Sunshine State. Reminds me of Ondo state where I schooled and it also drove home why the sun smote by day from Orlando to Miami. It was still a pleasant time.
While in Miami, I met with three Nigerians that had relocated from the country since when Naira was still stronger than the dollar. They all recollected with glee how it was in the early 80s before the “greed to get more” from the IMF set in.
It was not just about covering football for me, but Miami was a good place where I enjoyed good (Nigerian) delicacies and was shown around town within the very limited time available to explore.
I returned to Atlanta on Monday in another 15-hour road trip and this one tested me. Kai! Halfway into the journey and one “large” male passenger boarded the bus and elected to sit beside me. He stank more than the tomb of Lazarus. It was a horrible six-hour experience for me till we got to Atlanta. Bye Flix Bus, Bye Greyhound. I nor do again! 😭😭😭😭
