Africa and Football Trafficking
Sun, 2008-01-06 02:38
#1
Catchfire
Africa and Football Trafficking
Sun, 2008-01-06 02:38
#2
Catchfire
[url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2234283,00.html]The scandal of Africa's trafficked players[/url]
quote:
Behind the children, a weather-beaten billboard poster of Michael Essien stands guard over the foul-littered bay. Holding out a ball dotted with black stars, his country's national symbol, the Ghana and Chelsea midfielder beckons fans to 'Be Proud' and help Accra's city fathers with a clean-up of the city in preparation for this month's African Nations Cup.By mid-afternoon there are still many skipping school, or their chores, as they dream of becoming the next African millionaire to play in the Champions League for Chelsea. And, as the afternoon passes and the heat recedes, every spare patch of land in Accra, from dusty railway sidings to disused quarry floors, becomes dotted with young footballers.
These are not mere kickabouts. They are the unlicensed football 'academies' of Accra, which have sprung up in response to the rising profile of African footballers in Europe. According to the Confederation of African Football, the sport's governing body in the continent, all such institutions must be registered with the local government or football association. The reality in Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast is that the greater the success of West African players in Europe, the more unaccredited academies spring up. Most demand fees from the children's parents and extended families, who often take them out of normal schooling to allow them to concentrate on football full-time. Since having a professional footballer in the family would be the financial equivalent of a lottery win, many reckon the risk to their child's education worth taking. As we discovered, some even sell their family homes and move to the city in order to enrol their children.