Association Football in Africa

Association football, which is also called soccer, is the most popular sport in Africa. The popularity of the sport cuts across every African country, although rugby and cricket are also very popular in South Africa. Other emerging sports include Basketball and Volleyball with Athletics featuring heavily in former English Colonies such as Kenya.

History

Association football was introduced into Africa more than 100 years ago by the Western Imperialist states of Britain, Belgium, France, and Portugal. Given the fact that Football was already flourishing in these countries, it was not difficult for the spirit and passion of Football to catch up with the already athletic and physical activity oriented Africans especially men. Note that before the coming of the Europeans, the basic leisure activity for the people was dance. So it was not surprising that African men took up soccer with enthusiasm. Soccer is a very exciting game and has the advantage of being very accessible and reasonably cheap. The basic requirements for a soccer game to thrive are space, poles or sticks to serve as goal posts, and a ball which on many occasions is improvised. For young children, the ball is homemade out of polythene paper, rags and a string around it. Football is accessible because it can be played almost anywhere in Africa, and by almost any healthy young person. It is widely played in schools, villages, higher institutions of learning, corporate organizations and clubs.

In the period leading to independence in the late 50’s and 60’s, football underwent dramatic organizational change as most countries formed national football associations and affiliated themselves to FIFA upon gaining independence. The formation of national associations set the pace for the quick formation of clubs. Most clubs were initially formed in many African cities and sponsored by large companies or businesses, community welfare associations along ethnic lines and in some cases by government departments. So, for example, it was not unusual in larger cities for the police force, army, and railroads, to sponsor football clubs that would compete against each other and against clubs sponsored by large businesses. It was from these clubs that the best players were selected to become members of a national team.

Competitions

Club football expanded with the coming of independence in many African countries in the 1960s and the inauguration of club competitions at continental level under the auspices of Confederation of African Football (CAF). Some African countries even went further and formed national league and cup competitions leading to the declaration of a national club champion or national cup winners. The champion and cup winners were entered into the African Club Champions and African Cup Winners Cup competitions respectively at the continental level. The Club competition for champion clubs was later renamed the African Club Champions League Cup.

At institutional level, sports are very important in most countries. Inter-school competitions are often fiercely contested at national level and in some regions such as East Africa, the competitions extend to an inter-school championships bringing together national school champions in the different disciplines with soccer being the prime focus. Association Football, is not just played at competition level but also at recreational level. If you visit schools in rural or urban areas in almost any African country you will almost certainly find students playing football during recess periods and after school in virtually all available space and you will also witness a whole array of skills on display.

Progress

In the past thirty years, African football teams and players have gained a solid international reputation. Today, more than 300 footballers from all over Africa play on first division professional soccer teams in Europe, Asia, South America and in the United States. Beginning in 1970 the continent of Africa was given one guaranteed place in the World Cup championships. Based on the great improvement in African football, by 1982 Africa was awarded two places, three in 1994, and five places starting from 2002 at the World Cup tournament hosted by South Korea and Japan. The climax for African Football will be in 2010 when South Africa and Africa play host to the World Cup for the first time in history. The challenge is for Africa not only to host a successful world cup but to also produce a world champion.