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Africa United: Soccer, Passion, Politics, and the First World Cup in Africa
Africa United is the story of modern day Africa told through its soccer. Travelling across thirteen countries, from Cairo to the Cape, Steve Bloomfield, the former Africa Correspondent for The Independent , meets players and fans, politicians and rebel leaders, discovering the role that soccer has played in shaping the continent. This wide-ranging and incisive book investigates Africa’s love of soccer, its increasing global influence, the build-up to the 2010 World Cup itself and the social and political backdrop to the greatest show on earth.
299 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
About the author
Steve Bloomfield
5 books1 followerA British journalist that worked extensively in Africa
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 1, 2010
The book begins with the author in a dangerous encounter that ends well thanks to "David Beckham. Friend of mine!"
The first story - "The Pharaohs" talks about soccer in Egypt with the two rival teams of Zmalek and Al-Ahly. African soccer goes back to the refusal of FIFA to guarantee an African represenative at the 1966 World Cup to now having 6 African representatives at the 2010 World Cup. Soccer and politics have mixed in Egypt for decades, from being compeletly banned following the disastrous war with Israel in 1967 to cancelling the Egyptian leauge to focus on the World Cup Italia 1990. The author makes observations regarding soccer and Egyptian society:
"Egyptians see themselves as Arabs rather than Africans" (p.34)
"Soccer represents a malfunction in our society," Ahmad Hassan has told me. "People are so interested in soccer it diverts attention from their reality, from the social and economic problems." (p.37)
"The Egyptian national team is the only thing that all Egyptians are unanimous about," said al-Hosseiny. "There are always two sides to everything else - politics, religion ... Soccer is the only thing that unifies us." (p.44)
The first story - "The Pharaohs" talks about soccer in Egypt with the two rival teams of Zmalek and Al-Ahly. African soccer goes back to the refusal of FIFA to guarantee an African represenative at the 1966 World Cup to now having 6 African representatives at the 2010 World Cup. Soccer and politics have mixed in Egypt for decades, from being compeletly banned following the disastrous war with Israel in 1967 to cancelling the Egyptian leauge to focus on the World Cup Italia 1990. The author makes observations regarding soccer and Egyptian society:
"Egyptians see themselves as Arabs rather than Africans" (p.34)
"Soccer represents a malfunction in our society," Ahmad Hassan has told me. "People are so interested in soccer it diverts attention from their reality, from the social and economic problems." (p.37)
"The Egyptian national team is the only thing that all Egyptians are unanimous about," said al-Hosseiny. "There are always two sides to everything else - politics, religion ... Soccer is the only thing that unifies us." (p.44)
June 19, 2013
I found this book to be a fun and quick read. The author Steve Bloomfield uses football to explain the complexities of Africa’s socio-political problems. He visits 13 different countries and conducts interviews with footballers, politicians and ordinary people. Although I enjoyed reading the book, I did not find it to be particularly informative or insightful. Its ten chapters have a simplified journalistic style that did not add much to my understanding of Africa’s history or its people. Overall, this is an entertaining yet forgettable book.
September 30, 2017
كتاب صحفي لطيف جدا لا أعيب عليه إلا أمورا بسيطة كبعض الأخطاء الرقمية أو التاريخية هنا أو هناك ولكن هذا يحدث دوما.
سعدت بوجود أحمد سعيد وخالد يوسف ضمن المشار إليهم بالامتنان لمساعدة المؤلف.
A very nice journalistic-styled book. Nothing to criticise except some data errors to be spotted here or there, but this always happens. Glad to find acknowledgements for both Ahmad Saied and Khaled Youssef :)
سعدت بوجود أحمد سعيد وخالد يوسف ضمن المشار إليهم بالامتنان لمساعدة المؤلف.
A very nice journalistic-styled book. Nothing to criticise except some data errors to be spotted here or there, but this always happens. Glad to find acknowledgements for both Ahmad Saied and Khaled Youssef :)
October 28, 2014
10 chapters on the subject of 13 African nations; not so much a book about football, but a book which tells the story of recent African histories through e lens of football and those who play and follow it. Simply, but not simplistically written, it's a highly enjoyable, moving and insightful book. We totem ahead of the 2010 South African World Cup, it's a little out of date in 2014, but not enough so to reduce the book's significance.
January 3, 2023
A very enjoyable and fascinating look at the complex, volatile continent that is Africa, through the contextual lens of international football.
July 23, 2018
Hard to put down and quick to read. Sometimes the writing gets bogged down with explaining current affairs too deeply in material that is not always immediately relevant to the story.
It also equally represents East, West, Southern, Central and North Africa and covers 13 nations across the continent. It leaves on a cliffhanger just before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa a seminal moment in African football most probably on purpose in my mind.
For people interested in Africa and football alike.
It also equally represents East, West, Southern, Central and North Africa and covers 13 nations across the continent. It leaves on a cliffhanger just before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa a seminal moment in African football most probably on purpose in my mind.
For people interested in Africa and football alike.
March 31, 2024
Bloomfield is undoubtedly a good journalist, but as with most books penned by journalists, I got the distinct impression this should’ve been a series of vignettes published in a newspaper or magazine rather than a full-length book.
If I’d read this in 2010, I would’ve definitely given it a 3, maybe even 4, star rating. But now, the politics and quality of African football has evolved so much that many of the details drag the narrative down. As a result, it’s hard to take much away from the stories beyond a history lesson and a picture of where African football was 15 years ago.
If I’d read this in 2010, I would’ve definitely given it a 3, maybe even 4, star rating. But now, the politics and quality of African football has evolved so much that many of the details drag the narrative down. As a result, it’s hard to take much away from the stories beyond a history lesson and a picture of where African football was 15 years ago.
May 4, 2020
Such a stunning book, telling the stories of African football. The continent may well win a World Cup this century but if not they'll give it a good go. Needs to be updated but Steve's busy being a features writer.
July 29, 2020
I don't have a whole lot to say about this book besides that it was underwhelming. While it covers some interesting aspects of how soccer intersects with the culture and politics of many African nations, it reads more like a travelogue of another generic white dude.
June 6, 2017
Very interesting & informative. Once I got into it, it was hard to put down.
May 21, 2018
A nice and a light read, gives you a shallow idea about African politics while linking it to Africans’ love for football and how it resembles Africa’s struggles and corruption.
March 28, 2019
Reading in 2019 it is a bit dated in both the politics and the football but it is a nice quick tour of continent.
October 11, 2020
More about the political situations than the soccer but a good read.
August 14, 2017
I've just finished this book during the first week of the World Cup and it has given me a deeper understanding of the state of politics and football in Africa. Steve Bloomfield has traveled through 25 African countries, studying their politics, social structures, and the state of their soccer programs, professional leagues and ultimately, their national soccer teams. He followed the teams as they played through the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa. He explained their history, their feuds, and their politics. Politics? You say, how can this tie in with soccer? In Africa, the political structures are so corrupted that they will use the soccer teams to distract the population from their problems. One politician that he talks about, even bought a soccer team with government funds and built it up with public tax money, to distract the populace from the fact that they don't have running water, electricity, decent schools, roads, and hospitals, and ultimately, from the fact that these politicians are socking away millions of dollars in foreign banks.
Steve also talks about blood diamonds, blood oil, and how the rebels are using the money they get to buy weapons, and to train child soldiers to fight for them. He traveled through war zones all over Africa, and he talked with the child soldiers, and he talks about the social ramifications of the rebel wars. Some of the stories are very depressing, but others are very uplifting. Especially, his story about the Amputees World Cup. In order to play on the team you have to be missing a limb, and most of these players were victims of the rebel fighting that goes on. But these players found a second chance on life through the Amputees World Cup, because they're no longer shunned by society but are now admired and supported by a large number of fans.
Steve also talks about how Western Corporations have moved into Africa promising to build schools and hospitals for the mineral rights of these nations, but most of their promises are rarely realized. One corporation did build a brand new school, but they didn't provide any money for teachers, equipment, or books, and now that same school still stands empty today, and yet the corporation has made off with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil.
This book isn't a masterpiece, but it was very educational and well written. I finished it in about three days. I recommend it to any one wanting to learn more about Africa.
Steve also talks about blood diamonds, blood oil, and how the rebels are using the money they get to buy weapons, and to train child soldiers to fight for them. He traveled through war zones all over Africa, and he talked with the child soldiers, and he talks about the social ramifications of the rebel wars. Some of the stories are very depressing, but others are very uplifting. Especially, his story about the Amputees World Cup. In order to play on the team you have to be missing a limb, and most of these players were victims of the rebel fighting that goes on. But these players found a second chance on life through the Amputees World Cup, because they're no longer shunned by society but are now admired and supported by a large number of fans.
Steve also talks about how Western Corporations have moved into Africa promising to build schools and hospitals for the mineral rights of these nations, but most of their promises are rarely realized. One corporation did build a brand new school, but they didn't provide any money for teachers, equipment, or books, and now that same school still stands empty today, and yet the corporation has made off with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil.
This book isn't a masterpiece, but it was very educational and well written. I finished it in about three days. I recommend it to any one wanting to learn more about Africa.
March 19, 2012
This was a great book in my opinion. Its about how football inspires competition and creates passions in Africa. Across thirteen countries, from Cairo to the Cape, the author meets players and fans, politicians and rebel leaders, and discovers the role that football has played in shaping the entire continent. He remembers how football has helped to create an authoritarian regime in Egypt, end a conflict in Cote d'Ivoire and provide a tiny ray of light in war-torn Somalia. Meanwhile, the influence of African football continues to spread rapidly through Europe. Today, no Premier League team is complete without a major African star like Drogba, Essien, Toure, Adebayor, and Kanu. Lots of African players are now enriching English football and becoming household names. The book investigates Africa's love of football, its increasing global influence, the build-up to the 2010 World Cup and the social and political sectors of the game.
August 18, 2016
When I lived in Luanda, Angola's capital, there was little organised entertainment; one way of spending a pleasant evening was with cold beer and cool friends on my inner-city balcony, watching the local kids' 24/7 kickabout on the bare ground below, between the blocks of flats. The kind of dedication and enthusiasm that no longer manifests itself in Europe. Yet Europe continues to dominate world soccer, especially at club level. This splendid book, written with passion, style and a deep knowledge of both soccer and Africa, helps explain why Africa has yet to realise its potential. Although it does not, as the subtitle claims, explain the continent through the game, it does show how Africa's politics affect its soccer, and how much more than a sport soccer is in Africa. I think the book's greatest value may be to introduce readers interested in football to the real Africa that their media habitually ignore. And it is most entertaining.
September 3, 2014
This was good. A series of essays on specific countries in Africa and how their football team reflects the politics/social aspects of the country. Well researched by the journalist during his regular visits to Africa, his passion for both football and Africa is clear. It is like an extended magazine article, so is accessible and reasonably light. As you may expect from a book like this, some chapters are better than others (usually where he has a more established history with the country).
Highlights are the Somalia and Sierra Leone/Liberia chapters - which emphasise how important sport can be to those in the most horrific of circumstances - e.g. the amputee teams in Sierra Leone.
Unsurprisingly if you are interested in Africa and football, you'll like this. If not, you won't be...
Highlights are the Somalia and Sierra Leone/Liberia chapters - which emphasise how important sport can be to those in the most horrific of circumstances - e.g. the amputee teams in Sierra Leone.
Unsurprisingly if you are interested in Africa and football, you'll like this. If not, you won't be...
February 17, 2020
As I traveled to West Africa during the 1980's -> Bloomfield's description of the attitudes of soccer fans & their acceptance of the politics of status quo, resonated with me. For example we may be tempted to use the word 'corruption' when describing how the outcome of a soccer match is sometimes decided in Nigeria, but this perception would not be complete. The book is well written, well researched and offers important insight into the relationship of soccer and African politics.
April 7, 2013
Great idea for a book. Occasionally it gets far enough beneath the surface of journalistic fact-recounting to really draw in the reader, to provide a deeper sense of time, place, and situation; to provide resonant anecdotes and telling glimpses into the socio-political life of one African country or another ... but after the reader is finished and, by chance, picks up a Kapuscinski book again, those chapters are easily enough forgotten.
July 17, 2015
A little dated as it deals with the period prior to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but it is still an interesting view of Africa from a footballing perspective. From Cape to Cairo, the author shows that despite everything, the game has the ability to be a unifying factor everywhere.
It would nice to get a feel as to how football has developed more recently in the countries the author visited, but the book is still a worthwhile read.
It would nice to get a feel as to how football has developed more recently in the countries the author visited, but the book is still a worthwhile read.
February 15, 2016
Insightful in some areas, but this largely seemed to rehash the same story in each nation profiled: corrupt football associations and regimes, poverty, religious conflict, etc. all have adversed affected the sport. Identity-wise, this book doesn't know whether it wants to profile Africa through nation-specific vignettes or sport. Plus, it's littered with inaccuracies about current, noteworthy African players.
June 19, 2010
Interesting journalistic-type book with each chapter discussing the football team (and politics) of a different African country. It is good, but not great. The conclusions are too simple: Africa tends to be plagued by corruption, football does too. Politicians use football for their own ends (when teams are good).
I wish it pierced more deeply.
I wish it pierced more deeply.
July 6, 2010
A series of essays on the intersection of politics and football. Some essays are more interesting than others; I thought the ones on Egypt, Sudan, and South Africa were particularly good. The one of the Ivory Coast was also good, though the depiction of Didier Drogba, by all accounts not the nicest guy, seemed a bit cheap and tabloid-y.
December 7, 2010
A great read... The first chapter grabbed my attention, and the rest of the book was as interesting... It described the politics and social development of African countries as observed by a soccer commentator... How soccer dominates the lives of peoples in Africa.. Loved it... Thanks Sandy for getting the book for me...
March 10, 2011
This is a perfect read for me. Part Africa travelogue, part history and part soccer. Very well done and current, by the Kenyan based journalist written as a portrait in advance of South Africa World Cup. It shows how powerful soccer can be to bridge the political divisions between people. the opening chapter on Egypt is fascinating reading in light of recent events.
May 2, 2011
I very much enjoyed the fact that Bloomfield managed to demonstrate the methods and problems of African governments, which is often difficult to grasp from a Western perspective, through tales of the continent's most beloved sport. Good for sports-fans and news junkies alike- great for someone who is both.
May 31, 2012
I thought this book was really good. I really like soccer so i came into the book already interested so that was a plus. Being able to see soccer in America you don't get the whole view of the sport and what it does for the world. The book gave me a new perspective on soccer how some people live for it. It really made me appreciate the game more as a player.
July 15, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Similar to How Soccer Explains the World, this book focuses on the interplay between politics and soccer in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup. The author looks at the experiences of teams from Egypt, South Africa, Sudan Somalia, and several others. I highly recommend this book.
February 4, 2013
Nice overview of Africa soccer up to 2010. Focuses more on social issues and used soccer to knit together a tapestry depicting post-colonial Africa struggling to organize itself. Not all African soccer nations are covered. Togo and Zambia are absent, sadly. This book is merely a taste, a morsel snatched from a potential feast.
June 8, 2010
No book captures the soul of football and the soul of Africa so poignantly as this book. Some stories made me want to laugh and cry all the same time. A must read for anyone interested in Africa, football (soccer), or the triumph of the human spirit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews