O jogo da nação: o futebol e a construção da unidade nacional em Moçambique, 1975-2019

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.