AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR IN FOOTBALL REPORTAGE OF SELECTED NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS

Abstract

This study explores the use of conceptual metaphor in football reportage in sports section of the Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers. Football journalism in Nigeria often goes beyond literal description, relying heavily on metaphorical language such as war, battle, journey and animal imagery to dramatize matches and intensify audience engagement. Drawing on the framework of George Lackoff and Mark Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, the research examines how metaphorical expressions are employed to frame football events, players and teams in a way that shapes readers’ understanding of the sport.  Football reports were purposively selected from prominent Nigerian Newspapers; Daily Trust and Leadership. The study identified and categorized recurring conceptual metaphors on the report sports discourse. The findings show that conceptual metaphors play a significant role in shaping readers’ dynamics and dramatizing matches. The study concludes that metaphorical language is not merely stylistic but also cognitive, reflecting deeper patterns of thought that structure sport discourse in Nigerian media. The research contributes to studies in cognitive linguistics and media discourse analysis by highlighting how conceptual metaphors influence the representation and interpretation of football in Nigerian print journalism.