Laduma!: Soccer, Politics and Society in South Africa
by Peter Alegi
Category: History

In South Africa there are times when nothing is more important than soccer (football). Laduma! is an immensely informative and vital account of the history of the game in South Africa. In explaining how soccer - a sport imported with colonialism - came to be a mainstay of black sporting experience, it explores the Africanization of the game with the introduction of rituals and magic, and the emergence of distinctive playing styles. Using archival research, interviews, newspaper and magazine articles, advertisements and photos, Laduma! chronicles the impact of indigenous sporting traditions such as stick fighting, the rise of Orlando Pirates, the emergence of rivals Moroka Swallows, and the power struggles between different football associations and white authorities. Soccer influenced class and generational divisions, shaped masculine identities, and served as a mobilizing force for township and political organizations. Laduma! embodies sporting history at its best and will be of interest to ardent soccer fans as well as more serious scholars of African history.