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Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613774782922752 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Chidamwoyo, Kudzai Allan |
| author2 | Venter, Gustav |
| author_browse | Chidamwoyo, Kudzai Allan Venter, Gustav |
| author_facet | Venter, Gustav Chidamwoyo, Kudzai Allan |
| author_sort | Chidamwoyo, Kudzai Allan |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127251 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:29.531Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127251 Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 Chidamwoyo, Kudzai Allan Venter, Gustav Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History. Football Premier Soccer League (PSL) Soccer -- South Africa -- History Soccer players -- South Africa Soccer players -- Relocation Soccer teams -- South Africa -- History Soccer --Social aspects -- South Africa Emigration and immigration Football players, foreign UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH SUMMARY : This study seeks to contribute to an emerging literature on African football, especially on the topic of player migration. The subject of African players migrating to Europe to advance their football careers has been well explored. This study, however, takes a different approach by considering the migration of players to South Africa’s top professional football league, the Premier Soccer League (PSL), during the period 1985–2020. This primarily represents a form of intra-continental player migration as the vast majority of foreign players entering the PSL have historically been from elsewhere in Africa. Through utilising contemporary football media sources, interviews, public and privately available data as well as secondary football sources, this study aims to analyse the patterns of this migration over time. The period under investigation incorporates both a portion of South Africa’s isolation from international football due to apartheid, as well as the country’s readmission into the international fold where new forces began impacting the domestic football structure. The study begins in 1985 with the formation of the National Soccer League (NSL) – the forerunner to the present day PSL. This league was played on a multiracial basis with government approval, and despite South Africa’s international isolation at the time, it did contain a number of foreign players that circumvented the international boycott. These elements are analysed up to 1992 – the year of South Africa’s return to FIFA. Thereafter the focus shifts to the post-isolation period when international player recruitment could now be done by South African clubs within formal football structures and as part of the international football community. Other important considerations include the rise in sponsorship in South African domestic football during the 2000s, as well as the country’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The study analyses the degree to which these forces impacted foreign player recruitment within the PSL. Finally, the study looks at specific positional patterns regarding foreign player recruitment, and also assesses to what degree foreign players have contributed to the success of local South African teams. It represents a novel contribution to the historical literature on African and South African football, which has grown substantially over the past two decades. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie studie poog om ‘n bydrae te maak tot die opkomende literatuur oor Afrika-sokker, veral met betrekking tot die onderwerp van spelermigrasie. Die akademiese onderwerp van Afrika-spelers wat na Europa migreer om hul sokkerloopbane te bevorder, is reeds goed ondersoek. Hierdie studie volg egter 'n ander benadering deur die migrasie van spelers na Suid-Afrika se top professionele sokkerliga, die Premier Sokkerliga (PSL), gedurende die tydperk 1985–2020 te oorweeg. Dit verteenwoordig hoofsaaklik 'n vorm van intra-kontinentale spelermigrasie aangesien die oorgrote meerderheid buitelandse spelers wat die PSL betree, histories van elders in Afrika was. Deur gebruik te maak van kontemporêre sokkermediabronne, onderhoude, publieke en privaat beskikbare data sowel as sekondêre sokkerbronne, poog hierdie studie om die patrone van hierdie migrasie oor tyd te ontleed. Die tydperk wat ondersoek word inkorporeer 'n gedeelte van Suid-Afrika se isolasie van internasionale sokker as gevolg van apartheid, asook die land se hertoelating tot die internasionale gemeenskap waar nuwe kragte die plaaslike sokkerstrukture begin beïnvloed het. Die studie begin in 1985 met die stigting van die Nasionale Sokkerliga (NSL) – die voorganger van die huidige PSL. Dié liga is op ’n veelrassige grondslag gespeel met die regering se goedkeuring, en ondanks Suid-Afrika se destydse internasionale isolasie het dit wel ’n aantal buitelandse spelers bevat wat die internasionale boikot omseil het. Hierdie elemente word ontleed tot 1992 – die jaar van Suid-Afrika se terugkeer na FIFA. Daarna verskuif die fokus na die post-isolasietydperk wanneer internasionale spelerwerwing nou deur Suid-Afrikaanse klubs binne formele sokkerstrukture en as deel van die internasionale sokkergemeenskap gedoen kon word. Ander belangrike oorwegings sluit in die toename in borgskappe in Suid-Afrikaanse plaaslike sokker gedurende die 2000's, sowel as die land se aanbieding van die 2010 FIFA Wêreldbeker. Die studie ontleed die mate waarin hierdie kragte die werwing van buitelandse spelers binne die PSL beïnvloed het. Laastens kyk die studie na spesifieke posisionele patrone met betrekking tot werwing van buitelandse spelers, en bepaal ook tot watter mate buitelandse spelers bygedra het tot die sukses van plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse spanne. Dit verteenwoordig 'n nuwe bydrae tot die historiese literatuur oor Afrika- en Suid-Afrikaanse sokker, wat die afgelope twee dekades aansienlik gegroei het. Masters 2023-02-23T15:12:33Z 2023-05-18T07:12:04Z 2023-02-23T15:12:33Z 2023-05-18T07:12:04Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127251 en_ZA Stellenbosch University ix, 108 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Football Premier Soccer League (PSL) Soccer -- South Africa -- History Soccer players -- South Africa Soccer players -- Relocation Soccer teams -- South Africa -- History Soccer --Social aspects -- South Africa Emigration and immigration Football players, foreign UCTD Chidamwoyo, Kudzai Allan Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 |
| title | Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 |
| title_full | Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 |
| title_fullStr | Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 |
| title_short | Coming to South Africa : a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in South African domestic football leagues, 1985–2020 |
| title_sort | coming to south africa a historical analysis of the participation of foreign footballers in south african domestic football leagues 1985 2020 |
| topic | Football Premier Soccer League (PSL) Soccer -- South Africa -- History Soccer players -- South Africa Soccer players -- Relocation Soccer teams -- South Africa -- History Soccer --Social aspects -- South Africa Emigration and immigration Football players, foreign UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127251 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chidamwoyokudzaiallan comingtosouthafricaahistoricalanalysisoftheparticipationofforeignfootballersinsouthafricandomesticfootballleagues19852020 |