Never mind Valentine's Day, for many football fans Saturday February 14 is significant for the love of football, with the final of the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. This year there has been more media coverage of the cup than ever before (including live games on BBC2, BBC3 and the satellite station Eurosport). A new book by Dr Richard Giulianotti, Senior Lecturer in School of Social Science, Sociology at the University of Aberdeen and co-editor Gary Armstrong recognises that "international interest in African football has never been higher".
The new book, Football in Africa: Conflict, Conciliation and Community (published in time for the African Cup of Nations) recognises the growing success of African players as one of football's most striking recent phenomena. The groundbreaking collection provides the first detailed social analysis of football within Africa. The book features case-study essays that draw heavily on detailed fieldwork to examine the distinctive football cultures that have grown up in African communities.
Dr Richard Giulianotti said: "While several African football players have become international stars, and the African Nations' Cup is covered worldwide, there has been little in the way of substantial research into the game in Africa. The essays in this collection draw heavily upon research within African communities, and cover the African game at all levels - from a detailed interview with the great Eusebio to studies of local clubs in the townships and schools. The book highlights in particular how African football has been affected by the wider struggles and changes across the continent, notably colonialism, the rise of African nationalism, and the more recent decline in living standards within many nations."