Soccer returns to its roots in Africa

European colonists may have facilitated early developments of soccer, but history shows the first ball was kicked in Africa...

TheGrio Staff

Jun 9, 2010

From The New York Times:

CAPE TOWN — As the 2010 World Cup arrives at last in Africa, it might come as a surprise that soccer is not merely plowing new ground but also — in some manner — returning to its roots.

The first documented soccer games played on the African continent were staged in the future World Cup cities of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in 1862. That was one year before the rules of association football were codified in England in an attempt to facilitate competition by bringing uniformity to the emerging sport.

“You can make an argument that the history of the game in Africa is as old as the game itself,” said Peter Alegi, a professor of African history at Michigan State University and author of “African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World’s Game.”

Click here to read the rest of the story.