Historical Review of Professional Football Migration Trends from Uganda in the Era of Liberalized Sport Labour Migration, 1964-2022

Abstract

Elite football migration from Africa has drawn much scholarly attention. The social value attached to the ostensibly fortunate players crossing borders has grown expansively in the continent. Still, little empirical research is available on East African football. To lay the foundations to study Ugandan footballers’ transnational lives, history, and migration trajectory, a historical review of Uganda’s football migration trends is presented. Until 1962, Ugandan sports were under the British influence and control, athlete movement was restricted, football structures were flimsy, and the economy was in dismay. With professionalization, globalization, commercialization of sports, as well as the free movement of professional athletes endorsed by the 1995 Bosman Ruling, ushered in a new era of liberalized sport labour migration. Ugandan footballers were among those who participated in this phenomenon, sometimes using other African football leagues as a springboard to their desired destinations. While football migration in the early years was dominated by men, by the early 2000s women footballers also started departing, albeit at a slower pace and following distinct migration trajectories to their male counterparts. Moreover, Ugandan footballers do not follow a predictable or consistent migration patterns, exposing the need for indepth research into the unique migration trajectories and life histories.