ABSTRACT
The chapter utilizes various cases from across the continent to analyze the nature and threats of match fixing and its impact on the development of football in Africa. This analysis demonstrates that match fixing is not a unique problem to Africa and that the drivers of match fixing go beyond localized structural challenges facing football. Nevertheless, it focuses on match fixing in the local leagues and international matches involving local African actors. Clearly, the local leagues in Africa have emerged as intricate spaces of use within the global growth of match fixing. This situation arises from the marginalization of teams and players based in Africa, which opens spaces for exploitation by betting syndicates from across the world. Ultimately, the predatory nature of match fixing also means that African teams, players, referees and administrators are part of the corrupt schemes. The implications on player careers and future of teams in Africa are dire when caught in such acts.
