Global Perspectives on Football in Africa

Abstract

Football, in many ways, is a visual endeavour. From the visual experience within the stadium itself to worldwide media representations, from advertisements to football art and artifacts: football is much about seeing and being seen, about watching, making visual and being visualised. The FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa turned into a perfect example of the visual dimensions of football. Stadiums were built and marketed as tourist attractions, mass media and internet platforms advertised South African cities and venues, logos and emblems were displayed and celebrated, exhibitions were organised in museums world-wide. This books explores the social, cultural and political role of football in Africa by focusing on the issue of its visibility and invisibility. The contributions consider the history and present of football in different parts of Africa. They examine historical and recent pictures and images of football and football players, as well as places and spaces of their production and perception. They analyse the visual dimensions expressed in sports infrastructure, football media-scapes, and in expressive and material arts. This book thus contributes to the growing interest in football in Africa by exploring a new field of research into sports.