Tilburg University Big men playing football Pannenborg, ARC

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Tilburg University
Big men playing football
Pannenborg, A.R.C.
Publication date:
2012
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Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal
Citation for published version (APA):
Pannenborg, A. R. C. (2012). Big men playing football: Money, politics and foul play in the African game. African
Studies Centre.
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Big Men playing football

Money, politics and foul play
in the African game

Proefschrift

ter verkrijging van
de graad van Doctor aan Tilburg University,
op gezag van de Rector Magnificus, prof. dr. Ph. Eijlander,
in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van
een door het College voor Promoties aangewezen commissie
in de aula van de Universiteit op
vrijdag 12 oktober 2012 om 10.15 uur

door
Arnold Reinier Cornelis Pannenborg
geboren op 11 september 1976 te Goes
Promotiecommissie:

Promotor: Prof. dr. W.E.A. van Beek (Tilburg University)

Overige leden: Prof. dr. H.L. Beck (Tilburg University)
Prof. dr. A. de Ruijter (Tilburg University)
Prof. dr. P. Darby (University of Ulster, UK)
Prof. dr. T. Dietz (African Studies Centre, Leiden University)
African Studies Centre
African Studies Collection, vol. 43

Big Men playing football

Money, politics and foul play
in the African game

Arnold Pannenborg
Published by:
African Studies Centre
P.O.Box 9555
2300 RB Leiden
[email protected]
www.ascleiden.nl

Cover design: Heike Slingerland
Cover photo: A director of Hearts of Oak waves the club colours before the big match
against Asante Kotoko at the stadium in Accra, Ghana.

Cover photo: Sanne Terlingen
Photos: Sanne Terlingen, Arnold Pannenborg

Printed by Ipskamp Drukkers, Enschede

ISSN: 1876-018X
ISBN: 978-90-5448-118-8

© Arnold Pannenborg, 2012
Contents

List of figures and photos vii
Acknowledgements ix

1 INTRODUCTION 1
The de-virtualised world of football 2
A study of Big Men in the African game 13
2 A SHORT HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IN AFRICA 22
Africa, football and the early days 23
Football after independence: The good old days 29
The lost decade: Economic crisis and structural adjustments 35
The new millennium: Exodus, commercialisation and Europe 41
3 LOOKING FOR A WEALTHY BIG MAN 48
From community-based clubs to one-man shows 49
Who is the boss? 62
Wanted: A Big Man 69
How Big Men become FA officials 77
4 HONOUR, PRESTIGE AND THE OTHER 81
Football and identity 82
Histories, traditions and rituals 87
The prestigious side of the game 99
5 POLITICS, POWER AND THE FOOTBALL MAP 110
Mixing football with politics 111
The club and the party: Hearts vs Kotoko 124
PWD Bamenda and the Anglophone problem 131
6 THE FOOTBALL BUSINESS 140
The business side of football 141
The commoditisation of the player 153
7 POWER PLAY, MISMANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY 170
The Big Man as boss 171
Big Men, factions and power struggles 179
Incompetence, mismanagement and corruption 188
Transparency, accountability and FIFA 197

v
8 THE ART OF WINNING 205
Match-fixing, hospitality and gift-giving 206
The power of juju 221
Intimidation, violence and no-go areas 234
9 FRIENDSHIPS, NETWORKS AND THE SEARCH FOR PROFIT 248
Friendships and the promotion/relegation struggle 249
Fortune, failure and the spiritual factor 256
Networks and Big Man politics 262
Player selection, age cheats and tournaments 272
10 CONCLUSION 282

Notes 288
Bibliography 329
Samenvatting (summary in Dutch) 341
Author’s details 347
vi
List of figures and photos

Figures
1 The forms of capital in football 5

Photos
1.1 Flanked by his entourage, Hearts of Oak Board member Alhaji Fawaz Zowk
observes a practice session at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra, Ghana 15
2.1 Football infrastructures throughout Africa are largely inadequate. Players of Tiko
United (Cameroon) practice on a barren ground inside the town stadium 28
2.2 Clubs in Africa have suffered from low patronage in recent times. A Hearts of Oak
supporter watches his team play at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi, Ghana 39
2.3 Playing abroad has made some African players rich. One of Ghana’s national team
players leaves Accra’s military airport in his expensive SUV 45
3.1 A supporter of one-man show Yong Sports Academy shows his self-made flag at
the stadium in Bamenda 60
3.2 Through a public signpost in a Kumasi suburb, members of Asante Kotoko’s
Circle group 98 are reminded of a six o’clock meeting on a Thursday 70
4.1 Asante Kotoko’s nickname (Fabulous!) and motto (Kum apem a, apem beba) are
written on the side of the team bus 90
4.2 Ghana’s national team player Harrison Afful receives a welcome by FA officials
and other Big Men after having played a World Cup qualifier 102
5.1 A Hearts of Oak player performs a prayer before the match between Hearts and
Asante Kotoko at the packed Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra 121
5.2 President Eteki Charles of Tiko United is standing near the Mungo river. In 2007,
supporters rolled out a red carpet over the bridge (left) to celebrate their team’s
promotion to the top league 135
6.1 Hundreds of players show up at a gravel field behind a church in Bamenda for a
recruitment period of top league club Yong Sports Academy 150
6.2 Businessman Yong Francis has ordered workers to turn a bush area near Nkwen
into an academy ground, featuring two training pitches and dormitories 164
7.1 Coach Herbert Addo (left on the bench) watches a practice session at Asante
Kotoko’s training ground near the military barracks in Kumasi 177
7.2 In April 2009, the Otumfuo Challenge Cup and other festivities were organised in
honour of the current Asantehene’s ten year anniversary on the throne 190
8.1 Winning increases the chances of converting capital. An Asante Kotoko player
celebrates his team’s victory over arch rival Hearts of Oak 211
8.2 Coaches C.K. Akonnor and Nii Lamptey of Eleven Wise give instructions during
a home match against Asante Kotoko at the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi. Their
white shirts signal victory 225
8.3 A match between Eleven Wise and Asante Kotoko at the Essipong Stadium in
Sekondi ends in a victory for the visitors. Immediately afterwards, armed police
officers escort the referee and his linesmen off the pitch 239
vii
9.1 Big teams such as Hearts and Kotoko are thought to receive favour upon favour.
Kotoko players watch their team win an away match against Bechem Chelsea at
the stadium in Sunyani 255
9.2 Teams belonging to ethno-political minorities, such as PWD Bamenda, are said to
be obstructed by the powers that be 268

viii
Acknowledgements
This is the time and place to express my gratitude.
The origins of this study can be traced back to 2003, the year I carried out my
MA fieldwork in the town of Buea, Cameroon. It was Professor Sjaak van der
Geest and Dr. Robert Akoko who each helped me in different ways to finish
writing my thesis on the spiritual side of football. The African Studies Centre
Leiden later published my thesis How to win a football match in Cameroon as
part of their African Studies Collection.
This PhD research project would not have seen the light of day without the
help of Professor Wouter van Beek. He first of all encouraged me to pick up the
topic of football again at a time I was busy doing something else entirely. I since
started a blog on African football, wrote articles for magazines, newspapers and
websites, appeared on radio programmes and participated in public seminars and
debates. At one point, Wouter proposed to enrol me as a PhD candidate. I visited
Ghana in 2008 to watch African Cup of Nations matches and to do preliminary
fieldwork. When Wouter managed to obtain funds for my fieldwork I resigned
my job and left for Ghana early in 2009. I am very grateful for Wouter’s help in
bringing this PhD project to completion.
Before saying thanks to a multitude of people I want to thank my girlfriend
Sanne Terlingen. Without hesitation she abandoned her life in the Netherlands to
accompany me on a five-month fieldwork journey to Ghana and a subsequent
four-month journey to Cameroon. Apart from providing moral support, she occa-
sionally joined me in doing interviews and accompanied me on my trips from our
“homes” in Kumasi and Bamenda to watch matches. She also took several of the
pictures printed in this publication.
I wish to thank those who helped me in one way or another during the periods
I did my fieldwork in Ghana in 2008, 2009 and 2011. First of all, thanks to Ed
Corts and his wife Beatrice for renting out their home in Kumasi to Sanne and
me. Also, thanks to Desmond, Ibi and the others at the shop across the street
whom I engaged in numerous talks about football in Ghana in general, and
Asante Kotoko in particular. Also deserving of my gratitude is Emmanuel
Prempeh, a journalist who was a great help as an assistant/fixer. Another thank
you goes to Kwaku Anor, spokesperson for one of Kotoko’s Circle groups. I also
owe a debt of gratitude to the Big Men, other club and FA officials, coaches,
players, referees, journalists and others who were kind enough to share their
experiences. A final thank you goes to Mr. X.
ix