Abstract:
Soccer is a very popular sport in Mozambique. Sometimes seen as recreational or professional
activity, soccer also plays a social and political role. However, despite being the sports of the
masses, it has not received the attention it deserves from researchers in social sciences and
humanities. To contribute to filling this gap, this dissertation studies the contribution of soccer in
the construction and strengthening of the Mozambican nation. It contends that since the
proclamation of national Independence in 1975, soccer has played an important role in the project
of building a strong, united and modern nation. It further argues that in a context of a history of
cyclical warfare and instrumentalization of ethno-linguistic and regional diversity, the government
of Mozambique has bet on the popularity of soccer to promote an idea of belonging to a united and
sovereign nation. In this regard, the soccer matches of the national soccer team serve to unite
Mozambicans in defending their homeland, leaving aside ethnic and club differences. The national
soccer league played in „all-against-all‟ model involving clubs from all regions of the country,
despite being financially unsustainable, receives public funds because it is believed to contribute
to national unity. The dissertation is based on historical and qualitative methods seeking to
understand political, social and sports events over time. In this process, it relies on document
analysis, literature review, non-participant observation and interviews with key informants.
