Category Archives: Africa

Le drainage musculaire actuel – et est-ce que les joueurs encore prefereraient jouer pour les équipes européens?

Je voudrais continuer de considérer l’idée de ‘muscle drain’ ou drainage musculaire qui est introduit dans ‘African soccerscapes’. C’est une idée qui aussi a beaucoup de pertinence dans La Ventre de l’Atlantique, par Fatou Diome, avec particulièrement le jeune jouer Moussa, mais partout le livre Diome peint une image du grand désir des jeunes joueurs… Read More »

Visualizing African Soccerscapes

Next week our Soccer Politics class here at Duke University we are transitioning to a virtual classroom, and the first Zoom lecture/discussion will be about Peter Alegi’s excellent book African Soccerscapes. The book takes us on a journey through the history of football throughout the continent, exploring it’s spread during the colonial period, it’s role… Read More »

The African Cup of Nations and the Eurocentricity of Football

One month ago the Cameroon Football Association confirmed that the 2021 African Cup of Nations will be held in January instead of July because the rainy weather conditions during the summer months are not conducive for playing.[i]The announcement produced severe backlash from media outlets globally who argued that this rescheduling would be disruptive to the… Read More »

Implicit Bias and Athletes

Last week in discussion, we talked about the way that biases can affect how soccer players are used on the field and how they are viewed by both managers and spectators. “African Soccerscapes” by Peter Alegi pointed out that African players in European leagues are disproportionately used as strikers or in wide positions, often seen… Read More »

La “fuite des cerveaux” au sport

Le célèbre roman de Fatou Diome, Le ventre de l’Atlantique, décrit de nombreux thèmes du transnationalisme et de la transcendance nationale par le sport. Dans cette histoire d’un jeune garçon fanatique de football, qui compte sur sa sœur vivant à Strasbourg pour lui raconter des matches qu’il ne peut pas regarder, les relations de la… Read More »

From Brooklyn to Omaha to Johannesburg: Reflecting on Heartbreak and Missed Opportunities

My heart broke in Omaha, Nebraska. I’ve dreamed of going to the Final Four for as long as I can remember. As all kids do, I dreamed of being the star player. I imagined leading my team through the tournament and hitting the buzzer-beating shot in the national championship game. I visualized confetti streaming down… Read More »