ABSTRACT
During the last decade top flight European football has witnessed a huge influx of African players. Furthermore, the vast proportion of Africa's elite talent currently play their club football in Europe. For example, of the best ten African players of 1999, as selected the Technical 277Development and Press committees of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), eight play in the top level leagues of England, Germany and France. This article sets out to present some preliminary findings on the dynamics of African football labour migration to Europe. In order to set the context, attention is accorded to sketching the European driven diffusion of football to Africa. This is followed by an account of African player migration to a selection of elite European leagues. In particular, the article focuses on the impact the exodus of football talent has had on domestic, national and international football in Africa. The empirical evidence presented within this study is located in a theoretical frame that is rooted in current debates on sport labour migration and globalization. In particular, the study assesses the extent to which African player migration can be informed by theories of imperialism and dependency as well as by Immanuel Wallerstein's explanations of global economic inequality.
