The high-level side event, titled “Safeguarding Women in Sport: Global Action Against Trafficking and Exploitation,” was hosted by Mission 89, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta, and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica.

As a multi-billion-dollar global industry with transformative potential for youth development and gender equality, sport is also increasingly being exploited by transnational trafficking networks.

According to the 2024 UN Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, women and children make up the majority of identified victims, and there is a disturbing upward trend in trafficking cases linked to athletic recruitment, particularly in the Global South. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 78/228 also echoed concern about this phenomenon, citing the need to improve coordination, data collection, and policy action across sport and migration systems.

A key highlight of the event was the formal presentation of the Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, a groundbreaking study co-produced by Mission 89, Loughborough University, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK.

The report provides the first globally recognised definition of sport trafficking aligned with the Palermo Protocol and offers a detailed analytical framework for governments, sport federations, and human rights institutions to identify, prevent, and respond to trafficking practices.

One of the most compelling aspects of the event was the inclusion of athletes whose lived experiences added depth and urgency to the conversation. Nigerian international and Al-Ittihad centre-back Ashleigh Plumptre shared her insights on the pressures faced by female footballers navigating contracts, migration, and power imbalances. Finnish goalkeeper Katriina Talaslahti, currently with Dijon FCO, underscored the need for international safeguarding systems, noting that women often face vulnerabilities that aren’t just physical, but systemic.

The keynote address, delivered by H.E. Professor Michel Veuthey of the Sovereign Order of Malta, emphasised the urgent need for cross-border cooperation and data-sharing frameworks to detect and prevent exploitation in transnational sporting contexts.

Key interventions were delivered by Dr. Marie-Laure Lemineur, Head of Safeguarding at FIFA, who presented FIFA’s latest safeguarding strategies and emphasised the role of federations in implementing athlete-centred protection. Others are Hon. Jared Okelo, Member of Parliament (Kenya), who called for legislative alignment between sport governance and national anti-trafficking laws and Ms. Céline Moreau, legal expert and former ILO officer.

With Switzerland preparing to host the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in July, the side event provided a timely opportunity to engage stakeholders, spotlight vulnerabilities before a major women’s tournament, and build momentum for policy reform. The conveners called for immediate efforts to scale up public awareness campaigns like Mission 89’s #NotInOurGame, enhance legal identity protocols for athlete migration, and strengthen institutional safeguards through interagency cooperation.

The event successfully fulfilled its core objectives: raising awareness, fostering cross-sector dialogue, and proposing concrete next steps to tackle trafficking in sport. Lerina Bright, Executive Director of Mission 89, affirmed in her closing remarks: “Safeguarding women and girls in sport is not a side issue, as it is central to the future of sport as a force for good. With the tools, testimonies, and political will showcased today, we have the power to change the game.”

Download the Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking
[here]

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Mission 89, the global research and advocacy organisation dedicated to combating child trafficking in sports and athlete protection, has announced the appointment of professional footballer and Nigerian international, Ashleigh Plumptre as a global ambassador. This strategic partnership underscores the organisation’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding young athletes and upholding the integrity of football.

Ashleigh Plumptre, renowned for her defensive prowess and dedication to social justice, brings a compelling voice to Mission 89’s initiatives against exploitation in sports. Her extensive experience at the highest levels of professional football, alongside her passionate advocacy for ethical practices, positions her as an exemplary representative for this vital cause.

“Sport Trafficking is a critical issue that demands immediate attention and action from all stakeholders – government, advocates, leaders, professional athletes and policy makers”, stated Lerina Bright, Executive Director of Mission 89. “Ashleigh’s dedication to protecting vulnerable young athletes and her platform as an athlete will be instrumental in amplifying our message and reaching communities at risk.”

The collaboration will focus on several key initiatives, including highlighting the risks of trafficking in sports through targeted campaigns and community outreach; strengthening global alliances to bolster child protection in sports; implementing strategies to safeguard young athletes from exploitation; and informing families, communities and other stakeholders about safe recruitment practices and the dangers of unscrupulous agents.

“As a footballer, I have observed firsthand how aspirations can serve as both a source of hope and a potential vulnerability for young athletes,” remarked Ashleigh. “My experiences in professional sports have taught me that talent alone is insufficient; protection, education, and ethical pathways are vital components. Mission 89 represents more than just an organization to me; it signifies a platform for transforming the narrative surrounding youth in football. We are not merely preventing trafficking; we are reclaiming the true spirit of the game—a spirit characterized by opportunity, dignity, and hope.”

“Football has the potential to transform lives; however, it is imperative that we ensure this transformation is both positive and secure. Joining Mission 89 enables me to contribute to the safeguarding of the dreams of young players who view football as their pathway to a better future,” she added.

This partnership emerges at a pivotal moment as the sports industry confronts escalating challenges in shielding young talent from exploitation. This comes as experts in Mission 89’s recently released Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking have also called for stricter legislation and collaborations between government and institutions globally to strengthen protective measures and protection against trafficking in the industry.

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Mission 89, in partnership with Loughborough University and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch (CPA UK), has released the first-ever comprehensive Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, presenting a rigorous academic and policy-oriented analysis of human trafficking within the global sports ecosystem.

The report integrates a comprehensive literature review, interdisciplinary expert consultations, forensic analysis of documented trafficking incidents, comparative international policy assessment, including contributions from global experts. While highlighting the economic benefits of the sports industry, which is estimated to be between $471 billion and $1.4 trillion annually, the report sheds light on how this lucrative industry has become a magnet for traffickers exploiting vulnerable individuals, particularly young athletes from the Global South.

According to industry stakeholders, the absence of a specific definition for ‘sport trafficking’ has presented significant challenges in distinguishing the phenomenon from migrant smuggling, irregular migration, and other forms of human trafficking, thereby preventing targeted Interventions. In addition, the US Department of State has identified significant regulatory gaps within sport governing bodies. Even established regulations, such as FIFA’s prohibition on international transfers of minors, have revealed numerous loopholes and enforcement challenges.

The report introduces a scholarly and precise definition of sport trafficking, referred to as a systematic process of recruiting and exploiting individuals within the sporting domain, characterised by coercive mechanisms that compromise individual autonomy and fundamental human rights. It not only involves the direct exploitation of athletes but also extends to the myriad ways through which the industry can serve as a conduit for labour and sexual exploitation, especially during mega sporting events which attract increased demand for informal labour and entertainment services (that may involve trafficking for sexual exploitation).

For Dr Serhat Yilmaz, the Lead Researcher of the report and Senior Lecturer in Sports Law at Loughborough University, it is quite straightforward. “Without a precise, sport-specific definition of trafficking, we are dealing with inadequate legal protections, ineffective policy development, challenges in identifying and supporting victims, limited prevention strategies, and blurred legal distinctions that allow perpetrators to escape accountability. Therefore, our objective is to bring sport trafficking out of the shadows and into focused, actionable legal and social frameworks”, he explained.

The report also presents a typology of sport trafficking supported by case studies that are identified and developed through the research. This typology of sport trafficking, as another novel aspect of the document, provides an overview of the different types of trafficking evident in, through, and around sports. In each case, the existence of the type of trafficking is determined by the presence of the necessary constituent elements of the trafficking crime as per the definition of the UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol.

“Aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 8.7 and 16.2, the research provides a foundational scholarly contribution to understanding and mitigating trafficking vulnerabilities”, said Lerina Bright, Executive Director, Mission 89. “With a clear and specialised definition, we can provide clearer legal frameworks, guide more effective policymaking, improve victim support mechanisms, enable more targeted educational efforts and help the judiciary better recognize and address these specific trafficking cases.”

The report recommends that legislators and parliamentarians develop and implement domestic anti-trafficking laws that align with the TIP Protocol and relevant regional instruments. It advocates for a ‘non-punishment’ provision to protect trafficking victims, particularly migrant athletes, from criminal prosecution for actions stemming from their trafficking experiences. Experts also advocated for the introduction of a new recognised form of exploitation encompassing severe forms of economic exploitation in order to provide stronger protection for vulnerable athletes.

Policymakers should also adjust immigration frameworks for athletes to reduce trafficker exploitation opportunities and ensure recruitment follows international best practices for labour rights. In addition, building capacity through targeted training for identifying sport trafficking and improving data collection will be essential for raising awareness and addressing this critical issue.

The report identifies a range of different areas for improvement in efforts to combat sport trafficking and more effectively protect vulnerable athletes and aspiring athletes. They are consolidated as a set of recommendations for policymakers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, service providers, and sport organisations. In this respect, the insight of this report, typologies, and interpretive guide provide support and guidance for these actors in pursuing the recommendations and supporting anti-trafficking efforts.

Accessibility and Engagement

• Full Report: Available for download on Mission 89’s website
• Academic Inquiries: globalreport-ST@mission89.org

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The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the standard-bearer for all issues pertaining to the rights of children especially in countries where the legally-binding agreement has been ratified.  Article 19 UNCRC explicitly requires children to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse. Despite this, scholars such as Donnelly (2008) argue that currently, children remain the major class of persons who have enjoyed almost no increase in human rights in general, or in sport.

Football is a prime example of this. The lure of the Big 5 European leagues has increasingly led to the migration of young footballers from developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. For every young footballer who “makes it” in Europe, there are a great number who not only fail to make the grade, but often fall into the wrong hands, and are subsequently left abroad and desolate.

Lionel Messi, arguably the most talented footballer of his generation, left Argentina for Barcelona at the tender age of 13 and reached super-stardom within a few years. In contrast, it is estimated that 15,000 young players are moved out of West Africa every year on false pretenses of fame in European football, but due to the lack of monitoring the number could be much larger in actuality (Poli, 2010). These young African footballers often end up being exploited by unscrupulous traffickers, ending up worse off than they were when they left their home countries.

In order for state actors, governing bodies and NGOs to counteract this phenomenon, it is critical that the push and pull factors of a young footballer’s decision to leave home in search of a football career in Europe is well investigated and understood.

Bogus agents and “talent scouts”

Recently, FIFPro warned footballers about criminals posing as player agents on LinkedIn. Several players informed FIFPro about their experiences with a person named Steve Mac Hughes who they say deceived them by promising trials or contracts with clubs in the United Kingdom and Asia. In short, this person approached them via LinkedIn, said that a club was interested and that he would arrange a trial or a contract if the player first signed with him and paid a fee. None of the players spoke with or saw the person; they communicated with the “agent” via LinkedIn and WhatsApp. After they sent the money through a Western Union account, the person broke off all contact. This phenomenon is particularly widespread in the many “football factories” all across the African and South American continents.

Money talks

Research conducted by Prof. James Esson (2015:521) of Loughborough University on the migration of young African footballers to Europe found that many of them believed that a career in professional football and migration to a league outside of Africa is a realistic career-decision in order to lift an individual and therefore vicariously their family out of poverty. This is seen as a hugely significant factor that lures impoverished and often desperate young footballers into migrating to Europe by any means necessary, playing into the exploitative hands of traffickers and fraudulent agents.

Easy as that

The global image of successful athletes, who mostly ply their trade overseas, creates a desire among the youth to also elevate their standards as well as whet their hopes and appetite for “success”. Hence, globalised societies and the immense influence of social media have created the illusion that success in football or sports in general is a given, as long as an individual has talent and the right work ethic.

For example, Poli (2006) conducted a survey with the Ivorian Under-17 national team, where 18 of the 23 players he asked said that, once in Europe, finding a professional club to play for would be easy. Such optimism was not shared by their team’s trainer who felt that only three or four of them had the requisite talent to breakthrough in Europe. For many talented young boys and girls around the world, any career pathway that offers hope for breaking out of poverty is worth the attempt.

“Cultural placement”

‘Cultural placement’ is a reciprocal arrangement where a young person leaves his immediate family and is placed in the care of an individual or household, with their labour offered in exchange for education and/ or training, as well as his means of subsistence. For instance in Benin, there exists a local tradition of “vidomegon,” where village children work as servants to wealthy urban families in return for education and training. This often extends to families sending their children to acquaintances who are not well-known in Europe, in the hope that their children have better life chances in the “western world” (Manzo, 2005). False promises of reciprocity and return are an increasingly common theme in the migration of young footballers from developing nations into Europe.

There is certainly some evidence to argue that societies where “cultural placement” is standard practice seem to be susceptible to football migration.

References:

1. Donnelly, P. (2008). Sport and human rights. Sport in Society, 11(4), 381-394.
2. James Esson (2015) Better Off at Home? Rethinking Responses to Trafficked West African Footballers in Europe, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 41:3, 512-530, DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2014.927733
3. Manzo, K. (2005). Exploiting West Africa’s children: trafficking, slavery and uneven development. Area, 37(4), 393–401.doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2005.00644.x
4. Poli, R. (2010). Understanding globalization through football: The new international division of labour, migratory channels and transnational trade circuits. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 45(4), 491-506.
5. Taylor, M. (2006). Global players? Football, migration and globalization, c. 1930-2000. Historical social research, 31(1), 7-30.
6. Poli, R. (2006). Migrations and trade of African football players: historic, geographical and cultural aspects. Africa Spectrum, 393-414.

The writer, John Luke Chua, is a Graduate Research Assistant at Mission 89.

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The progress shown by African national teams in international competitions since the 1990s as well as the outstanding careers of African football icons such as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Nwankwo Kanu, to name a few, has fueled the desire of thousands of young West Africans to try to make it to “the top”.

While some footballers have been able to follow in their more famous predecessors’ footsteps, a disturbing by-product of this fascination with Europe’s football leagues has also been on the rise. This worrying phenomenon is known as “football trafficking” – for a more comprehensive definition of the term, see Esson and Drywood (2018).

The growth of African football has not gone unobserved. This has triggered a reaction, some clubs have been looking out for younger and younger “raw” talents to be “purchased” at a low cost, with the hope of turning them into established players to be sold at a higher price thus generating a big profit. On the other hand, the number of aspiring footballers craving to pursue a professional career in European football has also dramatically increased. Unfortunately, this demand and supply situation has created thriving grounds for exploitation of young talent.

Alarmed by the “race to young talent”, national and international institutions and sports governing bodies have taken restrictive measures. For example, FIFA introduced Article 19 of its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which states that international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18, unless their parents move to the country in which the new club is located for reasons unrelated to football, the player is aged at least 16 and the transfer happens within the European Union or the player lives no further than 50km from a national border and the club with which the player wishes to be registered in the neighbouring association is also within 50km of that border.

The goal of Article 19 is to put a limit to the frequent cases of fraud and abandonment linked with the movement of underage players as outlined in the “10 step guide to football trafficking” (Esson 2015).

Playing football at the best possible stage – Europe – per se is not the only motivation drawing large numbers of would-be footballers from the Global South. Research conducted on over 100 underage Ghanaian footballers revealed that they viewed migrating to a well-paid European league, where a player would get the maximum return on their ability, as the embodiment of self-reliance and entrepreneurialism (Esson and Drywood: 2018).

In other words, football is seen as a way of improving families’ social and economic status, a situation that is mostly perceived as impossible to achieve by staying in the country of origin.

Global South to North migration does not only pertain to football, although research in other sports is lacking.

With the aim to finding a way to balance two fundamental principles of the Convention on the Right of the Child, i.e adherence to the best interests of the child and the child’s right to participate in decisions regarding their future, further research into the migration of youth related to sports is needed as well raising the awareness of all the players involved, two activities in which Mission 89 has always been fully engaged in order to tackle the issue of the exploitation of young athletes.

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The World Game’s story highlights Mission 89 and the organization’s effort to bring together stakeholders and push grassroots education programs on legitimate pathways to a career in professional sport.

“The exploitation of children is a grave violation of human rights,” Mission 89 spokesperson Matthew Hall told The World  Game.

“Fake football agents using fake promises to recruit young men into an underworld of illegal immigration and crime is a concern for all of us. Football should not be a platform to exploit vulnerable people.

“Mission 89 is not interested in a blame game. Instead, we want to help individuals and organisations with the authority, resources and power to address this issue head on. We want to stamp this out.

“Trafficking in football is a complex issue but the professional players across Europe have the power to make a big difference.”

Professional players have been identified as potentially playing a leading role in grassroots education programs across Africa. The story also highlights September’s meeting in Brussels that saw child trafficking in sport placed on the European Union’s political agenda.

Click here to read the story ‘Mission launched to stamp out African ‘slave trade’ in full.

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#NOTINOURGAME

High-level Panel Session Hosted by the European Parliament Intergroup on Sport, Mission 89, and the Amersi Foundation

Tuesday 16th October 2018, 18h30 – 20h30

(Read more here)

Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are smuggled across borders and sold as commodities, including promising young athletes who are trafficked by sham agents promising fame, riches, and an escape route from a cycle of poverty.

To mark the 11th EU Anti-trafficking Day (October 18), the European Parliament Intergroup on Sport, Mission 89, and the Amersi Foundation will bring together European policy makers and key stakeholders to address child trafficking in sport.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

The Baroness Young of Hornsey, OBE
Mohamed Amersi, The Amersi Foundation
Bogdan Wenta, Member of European Parliament
Dr. Serhat Yilmaz, Professor of Sports Law, Loughborough University
Brett Clothier, IAAF, Head of Athletics Integrity Unit
Roberto Branco Martins, Sec. Gen, European Football Agents Association
Bulent Tansel, Criminal Intelligence Officer, Interpol
Chris Eaton, Consultant, Law Enforcement
Paolo Bertaccini, Advisor to the ITA Government on Sport Integrity
Mathieu Moreuil, Director of International Football Relations and EU Affairs
James Johnson, Head of Professional Football FIFA
Benjamin Smith, FPRW Technical Specialist on Child Labour (ILO)
Yatta Dakowah, Representative, Chief of the UNODC Liaison Office
John Dorber, Council of Europe, Adviser on Sport and migration to EPAS

With only broad estimates of how many youth, particularly of African and South American origin, leave their country of birth to pursue an often-false rainbow, it is difficult to determine the true extent of trafficking in sport. Civil Society and Political Institutions are showing increasing concern on this issue and have subsequently passed policy resolutions and recommendations that address the phenomenon.

Young footballers are the most affected. The International Olympic Committee’s Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement prohibits exploitation of young athletes and explicitly states that for the protection of athletes:

• Measures should be taken to prohibit exploitation of young athletes
• Athletes should be protected from unscrupulous recruiters and agents
• Cooperation with the government of the countries concerned should be developed
• Codes of conduct should be signed by all sport organisations

FIFA on the other hand has taken steps to limit the exploitation of young footballers, primarily through its Transfer Matching System (TMS) and the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the international transfer of minors.However, sport governing bodies and authorities can only regulate activities within the scope of organized competition. Other active international organisations, NGOs, and charities dedicated to assisting and protecting vulnerable youths are faced with the complexity of the issue of child trafficking – issues of jurisdiction and resources, enforcement of existing resolutions and regulations and an absence of a coordinated effort to implement recommendations.

A root cause analysis carried out by Mission 89 cited the ineffectiveness of measures taken so far to include a lack of coordination between key actors, inadequate resources to implement and enforce policies and a lack of prioritisation of the issue by governments and national sport federations.

Against this background and to mark this year’s EU Anti-trafficking Day, this event aims to bring together European policy makers and key stakeholders to set the foundation for a multisectoral dialogue and approach to addressing child trafficking in sport. EU policy makers and development aid can play a key role in affecting meaningful change on this issue, leading awareness and advocacy and making a statement of no tolerance on trafficking in sports.

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We  reproduce the story here but you can buy a copy of the magazine by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.

The stories follow a familiar pattern. A group of talented young footballers are invited to join a team with a promise of travel from Africa to Europe. There, they will play in trial matches that will lead to professional contracts. For this life changing opportunity the player must pay the coach or agent or scout (the recruiter is often the only variable in this equation) around $5000, sometimes more. It’s a significant sum – but with a professional deal in Europe at the other end? Who wouldn’t get on board?

Except it is all a scam. When the players arrive in Europe, there are no scouts from professional teams waiting to watch and there are no trials to lead to a contract.There is also no hotel when the coach or agent disappears with all the money, leaving his players with abandoned and alone far, far, from home.

Stories like this have been told by Matthew Edafe, a Nigerian player whose experience was laid out in WSC 339 [“Exploitation Game”] – abandoned before his team even made it to Spain and dumped in Cape Verde where he was stuck for a year before he finally found his way home – and documented by American photographer Jason Andrew who spent time with Nigerians in Turkey marooned in a rogue recruitment scheme.

Hakim, a player befriended by Andrew, was stranded in Istanbul. Luckily, he found a community of west Africans in similar situations which opened a door to some form of survival. By night, the group played pick-up games in parks. During the day tried to find work – any work they could do without necessary documentation.  

“Their choice was to either stay [undocumented] or go back home and tell their families who had they borrowed all the money from that it was a scam and nothing had happened,” explains Andrew. “Some went back home but most stayed. Turkey certainly wasn’t where they wanted to be.”

According to Lerina Bright, founder of Mission 89, the trafficking of players from Africa to Europe – and often Asia as well – is football’s dirty secret. Its existence is widely known but little discussed and less understood. The movement of young players from Africa by rogue coaches and agents – often piggybacking on academies of varying legitimacy – is at worst trafficking and at best a form of exploitation that preys on economic and social vulnerability.

“I found it incredible that the issue of child trafficking hadn’t been given more consideration by the powers that be given how widespread this activity is and how long it’s been going on for,”  says Bright, who has previously worked in football administration around the world. “Everybody in the game knows on some level about the illegal movement of players from Africa to Europe.”

Mission 89 was founded in 2017 with its “mission” based on the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a document that aims to “combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad”. Mission 89 also flags enforcement of FIFA’s Article 19 that states the international transfer of players is only permitted if the player is over the age of 18 (with some caveats).

But there are rules and guidelines and then there is a challenging reality – especially when ambition, aspiration, globalism, and money are involved. Still, Mission 89 is coordinating and developing research projects into the issue and collaborating with leading universities around the world to deliver a better understanding of the issue. It is also running advocacy and awareness programs that include educational apps for kids in Africa and has engaged with the African Union to establish a program that will ultimately result in a continent-wide regulations for academies.

Run by an all-volunteer staff located around the world – Europe, Africa, Australia, and the United States – a key to Mission 89’s work is addressing exploitation at the source of the problem rather than offering triage once a player is abandoned in Europe.

Many young players are unaware of the legitimate – and difficult – pathways to a career in Europe. It is often not realised that in most cases only elite players who have already represented their country at international level are eligible for work permits in Europe – even if a club does identify raw talent.

“How players move from Africa to Europe is often overlooked and there are many opportunities for young athletes to be exploited,” says Menaye Donkor, a supporter of Mission 89 who comes to the organization with a unique perspective.

Born in Canada, Donkor grew up in Ghana, and lived in Europe where she established businesses and ran an educational charity for underprivileged children. She was 2004’s Miss Universe Ghana and is married to Sulley Muntari, the Ghana midfielder who played for Portsmouth, Inter, and Milan.

“Mission 89’s work in offering credible research, advocating for young footballers, and looking to establish legitimate pathways for the players, should be applauded – not just by the public but the wider football industry,” Donkor says.

According to Mission 89, a pathway to addressing the multi-layered issues involves coordinating sports governing bodies – including FIFA, UEFA, and CAF – with government and non-government bodies, and law enforcement. Mission 89 sees a role in matchmaking these stakeholders and highlighting a compelling reason to bring everyone to the table: the player trade rarely results in a Champions League star and there are broad consequential gaps to fall through when many people chase that dream.

“Trafficking in persons remains the fastest growing crime in the world,” Bright says. “The pretense of a professional career in Europe’s leagues is often used to recruit young men into an underworld that benefits no one except those who want to exploit others. Creating pathways for the safe development and movement of young players searching for an opportunity in professional football is important – for the sport and our society.”

To obtain a copy of When Saturday Comes click this link. 

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In 2010, Andrew traveled to Istanbul in Turkey where he met aspiring footballers from Nigeria, players who would become the subject of his photography series Black Diamonds.

Photographs from the project revealed the reality of life for African players who had traveled to Turkey believing they would attend trials with famous teams like Galatasaray, Besiktas, or Fenerbahce. The truth was very different.

In part one of a two-part interview with Jason, the photographer explains how he met the footballers from Nigeria in Istanbul, what he learned about their journey from West Africa to Turkey, and what happens when players discover they are victims of a scam.

How did you meet the Nigerian players in Turkey?

It was a coincidence. I was in Turkey looking to do a story on the immigration issues that were happening on the Greek-Turkey border in October 2010. I was sitting in a café with a friend of mine in Istanbul and there was a slew of young West African guys constantly going by the café. I asked if there were many Africans in the area and he told me about a community called Kurtulus, a predominantly immigrant community.

I went down there and noticed a lot of these guys at a café. I went in, sat down to check my email, and began talking to this one kid. His name was Hakim. He told me he was in Turkey to play football and had been there for three months. I asked him what team he played for and he said he didn’t play for a team. He was brought over to Turkey by his coach, who he hadn’t spoken to or seen since he arrived in the country. The coach wasn’t answering his phone any more.

I came back the next day to talk to Hakim. He brought his friend Jerry and I found that there was a team of about 20 to 30 players that had been brought over from Nigeria. The coach was with them for the first seven to 10 days and then disappeared leaving them stranded in a hotel in Istanbul. They didn’t know where to go and somehow find their way down to the immigrant community in Kurtulus near Taksim Square.

With many West Africans living there, the boys felt they had found a community to plug into. There were also football pitches near there, which was great for their dream to play. They found accommodation in some single rooms above an industrial building where 25 to 50 Africans lived. They would play pick-up football games at night and try to find work during the day.

From ‘Black Diamonds’ by Jason Andrew

Was it unusual for players from Africa to be in Turkey?

Yes. At the time, there weren’t as many Africans in Turkey as there are now. There was mixed reactions from local people. They would either take pictures with them because they were exotic or they would be called by derogatory terms to make fun of them and would constantly try to beat them down. It was really difficult for them in the beginning.

It was really hard, as they were never going to be accepted. The only people who accepted them were the ones who were making money from them or those who were also being persecuted for being immigrants. The young Nigerians just basically kept to themselves. They kept to their churches that were all African, the restaurants where people were kind to them.

To see what life is like for Nigerian players abandoned in Turkey and for more images from Jason Andrew’s Black Diamonds project click here

What pathway did the players take to Turkey? What were their expectations?

They were brought over by a coach from Nigeria who told them there were two destinations that they could go to: Germany or Turkey. The truth was they were all going to Turkey because it was easiest at that time to get a 30-day sports visa. The visas allowed players to come for 30 days and try out for football clubs then go back to their original country. What the players understood that to mean was they had 30 days to come play and the teams then recruit them and then they can stay in Turkey, which was not the case.

When it finally dawned on them that they wouldn’t be picked up by any team, they had one or two choices. Either stay [undocumented] or go back home and tell their families who had they borrowed all the money from that it was a scam and nothing had happened. Some went back home but most stayed. Turkey certainly wasn’t where they wanted to be.

The players thought that Turkey was in the European Union [editor’s note: Turkey is not a member of the EU] because they played in the UEFA Champions League. The players would post on social media sites elated about “having won their first medals in Europe” because they had played in a local league. They didn’t understand that the only way for them to actually get to Europe was to cross the Greek border. At the time, things in Greece were worse than they were in Turkey so they ended up staying in Istanbul.

From ‘Black Diamonds’ by Jason Andrew

Describe the players’ lives in Turkey.

Over the five years that I was on this project, I ended up staying and living with the players when I would travel there. Their living conditions were better than what it would be in Nigeria. Having constant electricity and internet was a huge plus for them. Nonetheless, it was rough. Many of the players had children back home. The majority of them came on passports that said they were eight or 10 years younger than they actually were. They were scared constantly of the police; young gangs of boys who would cause them problems; they were scared of theft.

One day while walking walk up a street with Hakim and some boys heckling him, Hakim said to me, “In Turkey I’m nothing but a n$%&er.” In his way of thinking, back home he would be respected but in Turkey he was the bottom of their shoes.

Did you know the players’ immigration status?

All the players had overstayed their visas at the time we met. They were all illegal as they had no immigration status and were flying under the radar. Right now, they all have residency permits. In 2014, the Turkish government began offering them residency permits that cost a lot of money and the guys were able to secure them.

The police didn’t harass them unless they thought they were dealing or transporting drugs. The players kept their noses clean. They only went where they knew they could go and stayed among each other. It got better over the years but never got great.

What were the players living conditions like?

They were initially living in a cement building where they lived in apartments in groups. They then moved to a studio flat that was on the fourth floor with five people – three on the bed and two on the floor. Then they moved to different places as they began to find work. By 2015, they had all pretty much left Istanbul and were living closer to the airport, which was more affordable with nicer apartments.

Do you think the players happy with their situation?

No. Not at all.

From ‘Black Diamonds’ by Jason Andrew

Did they want to return home or move to Europe?

They couldn’t really go back home. In the case of one of the guys, his mother had borrowed close to $5,000 to send him over to Europe. He wasn’t going to go back home until he could provide for his family. He was better off in Turkey trying to make some money that he could send home as opposed to being home with nothing. A few of them started small import export businesses dealing with clothing, car spare parts and whatever else they could to try to make money. Others got work in factories when they realised football wasn’t going to happen at that time.

Did the players still expect to play professional football in the future?

Yes. They even showed up to the big Turkish teams, Besiktas and Galatasaray and told them who they were and that they were there for trials. The teams would be shocked. To this day, the players still harbour ambitions of playing football at the top level. They are right now playing in the fourth division of the amateur leagues in Turkey. Turkish rules state that foreigners can’t play in the second and third divisions but can play in the top division. Problem is, very few to none of the first division coaches will go watch fourth division matches. They are stuck in the lowest division right now. The professional Turkish teams are not picking them up, there’s just no interest.

For more information on Jason and his projects go to www.jasonandrewphotography.com

Interview: Mwende Maureen for Mission 89

The post Abandoned and alone: Photographer Jason Andrew reveals the lives of scammed African football players in Istanbul appeared first on Mission89.

It is a complex issue that involves exploitation of young athletes and at its worst examples is defined as human trafficking.

Just like a typical football match there are many forces in play and many individuals with specific roles that, when combined, create different outcomes. Money is a driving factor.

Young players want to improve the economic situation for themselves and their families and promises – many of them false – are seen as a circuit breaker.

Agents and academies want a piece of the money merry-go-round that revolves around professional football, especially in Europe and Asia.

Clubs at every level don’t want to miss out on the next big thing – whether for success on the field or success in making money selling players to other clubs.

Article 19 of FIFA’s regulations on the status and transfer of players states that international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18, yet loopholes and grey areas allow rules to be exploited or ignored.

Mission 89’s Matthew Hall was interviewed on Football Nation Radio to discuss the organization’s work in challenging these issues and how it plans to advocate, educate, and change the game.

The post LISTEN: How Mission 89 is working to reveal “football’s dirty little secret” in this interview with Football Nation Radio appeared first on Mission89.