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Soccer Vs Neo Colonialism

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Every year I feel an all too familiar itch. Some people may think I need to see a doctor, but I know that the only real cure is to sit on my couch in front of my large screened TV with some kind of greasy potato product and barley fermented beverage. The dose is to be administered every week between the hours of 1 PM EST on Sunday until 1 am Tuesday morning. That's right, folks. I've got a itch, and the only cure is more NFL football. When September rolls around and the weather becomes seasonably cooler, the leaves on the trees begin to change color, the air becomes crisper and has a distinguishable smell that can only be experienced and not described. The days become shorter, the weeks feel longer and the longing begins for the weekend when …show more content…

As a result, Africa's cultural identity has been what sociologist Ulf Hannerz calls "creolized" (6), which, as seen in the history of soccer, can be yet another facet for neo-colonialism. From these roots of colonialism and neo-colonialism grew the sport of soccer. Initially, in the 1860s it was introduced by Britain in South Africa (Armstrong "Football" 8) and other countries, such as France and Portugal, followed in other regions. Associated colonizing individuals and groups including missionaries, teachers, soldiers, and other colonial settlers acted as prime catalysts (8). Africans would watch white Europeans play and then apply what they learned in their own local "township games using bundles of rags as makeshift balls" (9). Teams and leagues were formed, as were rivalries, different styles of play, and different philosophies on the game. In 1923, African football began to be recognized internationally as a rising power when Egypt was accepted into the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and three more national associations (Sudan, South Africa, and Ethiopia) were later accepted, until 1957 when the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) was founded (9). Today, "CAF has grown into a 52-member association, the largest continental governing body in the world" (9). African soccer seemed

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