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A Love for Soccer 

The story of soccer in Africa is a long one. In the  

19th century, European colonists2 

 brought the  

game to Africa. Early matches were first played in  

the South African cities of Cape Town and Port  

Elizabeth in 1862. In time, the sport spread across  

the continent. Today, several of the game’s best  

players come from African nations, including  

Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. All  

over the continent, thousands of soccer academies  

now recruit boys from poorer cities and towns  

to play the game. Many learn to play in their bare  

feet,3 

 and they are tough, creative competitors.  

Their dream is to play for the national team or to  

join one of the big clubs in Europe someday. For  

some, the dream comes true. 

But the chance to make money with a  

professional team is probably not the main  

reason for soccer’s popularity in Africa. “Soccer is  

the passion of everyone here,” says Abubakari  

Abdul-Ganiyu, a teacher who works with youth  

clubs in Tamale, Ghana. “It unifies us.” In fact,  

more than once, the game has helped to bring

people together. In Ivory Coast, for example,  

immigrants4 

 and Muslims faced discrimination5 

for years. Yet many of the country’s best soccer  

players are from Muslim and immigrant families.  

As a result, the national team has become a  

symbol of unity and has helped to promote  

peace throughout the country. 

All over Africa, soccer is popular with parents  

and teachers for another reason: It keeps young  

people—especially boys—in school and out  

of trouble. “Most clubs in Tamale, Ghana,  

don’t allow boys to play if they don’t go to  

school,” explains Abubakari. “We’re trying our  

best to help young people and to make them  

responsible in society. Soccer helps us do this.  

For us, soccer is also a tool for hope.”