ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
DIGITAL UNDERDOGS
The All Whites have attempted to shrug off the social media noise ahead of their World Cup clash with Egypt, after defender Tim Payne was confronted with the minor detail that Egypt’s Mo Salah has approximately 65 million Instagram followers, compared to Payne’s rapidly rising but still modest 6 million.
New Zealand enter tomorrow’s match as clear underdogs against the Egyptians, largely on account of their football pedigree, continental dominance, and, as it turns out, their ability to generate what some pundits are calling “physically intimidating follower numbers.”
Payne, who has recently become an unexpected online sensation following a viral campaign to boost his profile, dismissed the comparison entirely.
“Look, I don’t really get into all that Instagram stuff,” Payne said. “At the end of the day, you can’t pass a ball based on follower count. I’ve got 5.9 million real ones who know what I bring from the back.”
He paused briefly before adding: “Mo Salah’s got 65 million, yeah… but that’s kinda irrelevant.”
The All Whites coach Darren Bazeley angrily muttered to our reporters , “We’ve prepared for set pieces, not a global influencer economy.”
Payne, however, remains defiant about New Zealand’s chances.
“If football was decided on Instagram followers, I wouldn’t even bother turning up,” he said. “But it isn’t. It’s decided on tactics, effort, and occasionally someone just kicking it as far as they can and hoping for the best at times. That’s where we thrive.”
He also addressed the idea that Egypt’s online presence might affect the match psychologically.
“I don’t think Mo Salah’s 65 million followers are going to press high,” Payne added. “Unless they’ve been specifically coached to do that, which I doubt. We’re just here to play football”
More to come.
