ABSTRACT
Studies on African football migration and its football development suggest that it has failed to empower the players, making them more susceptible to the European football market than staying in the domestic leagues. Regarding the evolution of its society, this chapter examines the migration process of players to Europe to achieve professional status and how it influences their rationality to society. It draws on African footballers’ migration, African migration and the concept of Give Back Behaviour to understand the players’ socioeconomic contributions to society. Findings show that some players invested their efforts, knowledge transfer and sporting capital via social and economic activities to support the social welfare of families, relatives and the communities, while others made socioeconomic rational choices and value-oriented decisions based on their economic behaviour. This provides useful information on players’ migration as consubstantial with their Give Back Behaviour and economic rationality as their valuable contributions to society.
