ABSTRACT
Football and politics have always been entangled in Africa since the arrival of the game from Europe. This chapter traces that relationship from the early days of colonial governments in Africa when the state and its agencies, such as the public works department, railways, city council and others, were among the first organizations that established football on the continent. This relationship between the state and football continued postindependence when leaders like Kwame Nkrumah used football to advance pan-Africanism. But the chapter does not focus only on this type of relationship. Instead, it also explores how football fans use football for political agitation with examples from various parts of Africa and contexts that involve agitation for political independence, social justice and state separatism. It also discusses how football is used in war and ethnic rivalry.
