ABSTRACT
This article looks at the ways in which the African context is reflected in African female footballers’ motives for migrating to Scandinavia. As such, the article can be seen as a micro-sociological contribution to the literature on sports labour migration. This is a research area that has tended to neglect the migration of female athletes and the migration of athletes from outside the Western hemisphere. The article is based on interviews with African female footballers playing in the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish premier leagues. The interviewees’ responses suggest that various motives play a role in this specific kind of athletic migration and also that the African players often have several motives, which together seem to support their dreams of social mobility – that is, being given the opportunity to enhance both their economic and social status. The article ends by discussing whether this dream is likely to be fulfilled and what are the post-career opportunities for the migrant players.
