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Soccer in Morocco

African Cup of Nations

Sibusiso Zuma

Abedi Ayew

History of Soccer in Africa

  Soccer has been an important part of African culture for many years. Soccer was introduced in about 1850 by British settlers and missionaries (pitchinvasion.net). The first match ever noted was held in Cape Town in 1862. After the match was played, the sport spread quickly across the continent. The sport was enjoyed in the British colonies and in the indigenous tribes across the continent (Encyclopædia Britannica).
  The first championship in Africa was played in 1919. The championship consisted of a team from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. The teams played for the North African Cup, which was established in 1930. In other countries such as Kenya and Uganda, the teams played for other championships. These championships stretched across the continent and involved teams from countries across the continent as well (Encyclopædia Britannica).
  Soccer in Africa began to expand after World War II. Modernization allowed Africa to build new facilities. Along with the building of new facilities, Africa was able to hold many new competitions. One of these competitions was the French West Africa Cup which was held in 1947. Soccer continued to grow in Africa throughout the 1900’s (Encyclopædia Britannica).
  African soccer began to get recognition in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The players earned a reputation for being skilled. Their style of play was also every recognized during this time period. The style involved creativeness, hard work, and flexible strategies. This gained the attention of some of the countries in Europe (Encyclopædia Britannica).
  In the late 1970’s, many African soccer players began to play for European countries overseas. Although many Africans began to play soccer overseas, the style of play from the African players quickly became disliked by the European teams. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, African soccer made its way into the global spotlight. After a few wins at the Olympics, FIFA gave Africa its global recognition by giving five of the continents best teams a place in the 1998 World Cup (Encyclopædia Britannica).

Works Cited

"football (soccer)." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/550852/football>.

Lord, Jack. "Football in colonial Africa." Pitch Invasion. 1 Feb. 2008. 2 Mar. 2009 <http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/02/01/football-in-colonial-africa/>.