Africa, the FIFA Presidency, and the Governance of World Football: 1974, 1998, and 2002

Abtract: Since the independence movements of the late 1950s and 1960s, most African nations have remained firmly rooted at the base of the world economic and political order; however, in global sports, Africa has made its presence felt, and it is perhaps in international football that the continent's sports stars have made their biggest impact. The World Cup, the Olympic football tournament, and FIFA's underage competitions have been enriched by the presence of African nations. 1 African performances at these competitions show that Africa's most vibrant football nations have emerged as credible challengers to the traditional preeminence of South America and Europe.These performances on the field of play have been matched by the advance and improving profile of Africa within the governance of the world game. Nowhere has this profile been more manifest than in the central role that Africa has played in determining who holds the most powerful position in world football, the FIFA presidency. This article adopts a qualitative methodology involving in-depth interviews, primary archival material, and secondary sources to assess Africa's status as the key electoral constituency in the struggles for the FIFA presidency in 1974, 1998, and 2002. The analyses here examine the ways in which those seeking the FIFA presidency have sought to present themselves as advocates of African football and explore the implications that this attitude has had for the development of the game in Africa.