Abstract
This chapter on football and politics in Nigeria explores the subject from various standpoints. It starts by reviewing the intersections among religion, colonialism and football during late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century football in the country. Notably, the intersections were disrupted by resistance, which included nationalistic interests, gender issues and cultural dictates. The chapter also explores rivalries in Nigerian football that was situated in ethnic cleavages. Furthermore, it delves into the use of football to secure political advantages, which has led to unusual but organised forms of football support in the country. The chapter also addresses a contemporary issue pertaining to football administration in the country where political tussle has centred on money and power.
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Onwumechili, C., Totty, T.O., Malin, L. (2018). Nigeria. In: De Waele, JM., Gibril, S., Gloriozova, E., Spaaij, R. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Football and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78777-0_21
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