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Football, football, glorious football... you're going to be hearing a lot about the beautiful game this year, not least because the World Cup is being held in South Africa in June and July.

But before that, the World Service has got a full team out covering the in Angola from this weekend.

Angolan fans celebrate prior to a match between Egypt and Angola in February 2008. This year's competition starts on Sunday. Picture credit: Getty

And there's a four-part documentary series looking at the history of soccer on the African continent currently running on the English-language network.

We talk to the man who's involved in both of these projects - presenter and commentator Farayi Mungazi.
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It may be a celebration for the fans and players, but spare a thought for the 1500 or so journalists like Farayi negotiating the logistical obstacles of reporting from an overburdened Luanda at this time - especially for those who apparently will be commentating on a mobile phone back to eager audiences!

Actually, as I stare out across a bleak icy landscape here in wintry London, I say don't pity those guys too much.

As a huge footy fan who has had the pleasure of seeing this tournament before, I know where I'd rather be right now.

Yemen under the microscope

When you live in the poorest nation in the Middle East, with civil conflict raging in both the North and South of the country, how does it feel when you are suddenly under the microscope from the world's media and ?

Well as we find out in this week's Over To You, for most citizens of Yemen, probably not much. Not just because you have other more pressing issues to worry about but because the largely state-controlled media there hasn't let out much coverage of the story.
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After the much-reported arrest of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on the 25th of December for attempting to blow up an Amsterdam to Detroit flight, Yemen came under the spotlight because Abdulmutallab said he was trained by Al-Qaeda operatives there.

But, as ´óÏó´«Ã½ media analyst Steve Metcalf tells us, in spite of nominal press freedom written into the constitution, you have to read between the lines to know what's going on in Yemen.

Lessons from Africa Have Your Say

Also in this week's programme we find out what lessons have been learned as a result of the controversy of the Africa Have Your Say programme, which examined the Ugandan Parliament's anti-homosexual proposals.

The furore was caused by the stark headline on the programme's website inviting comment from listeners. Find out what the Editor of African productions, David Stead, made of the whole fuss and how it has informed his views on tackling such subjects on the programme in the future.

Rajan Datar is the Presenter, Over To You

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Over To You is your chance to have your say about the ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service and its programmes. It airs at 10:40 and 23:40 every Saturday, and atÌý02:40 on Sunday (GMT).Ìý

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