Boys, boys

There is a persistent rumour that sport and politics have nothing to do with one another, and that sport belongs to a sphere free from politics. This book refutes this notion using the example of South Africa. It demonstrates how social divisions and state power interests have manifested themselves in sport, and examines the role of football as a means of fostering identity during apartheid and in the years that followed, right up to the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The socio-political analysis focuses on the assessment of football as an integrative force and its role in building the so-called 'Rainbow Nation'.

There is a persistent rumour that sport and politics have nothing to do with one another, and that sport belongs to a sphere free from politics. This book refutes this notion using the example of South Africa. It demonstrates how social divisions and state power interests have manifested themselves in sport, and examines the role of football as a means of fostering identity during apartheid and in the years that followed, right up to the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The socio-political analysis focuses on the assessment of football as an integrative force and its role in building the so-called 'Rainbow Nation'.