Larbi Ben Barek of Marseille and Eloy of Sedan during a French Cup quarterfinals match in 1954.
“The French soccer team knocked Morocco out of the World Cup last week, leading to many broken hearts across North Africa, the Middle East and, because of its history of colonial migration, France. France established a protectorate in Morocco that lasted from 1912 to 1956, effectively colonizing the country. So the match seemed the opportunity for a postcolonial reckoning, particularly after Morocco’s victory over two of its other ex-colonial powers, Spain and Portugal. But soccer between France and Morocco has always been a microcosm of imperial control. In Morocco, the French hoped to govern more peacefully and with a greater emphasis on soft power than they did in their occupation of neighboring Algeria. …”
New Lines Magazine
A postcolonial World Cup showdown for the ages
How soccer’s colonial past still plagues the game today
[PDF] Football and colonialism: body and popular culture in urban Mozambique
amazon: Football in the Middle East Edited by Abdullah Al-Arian, Football and Colonialism: Body and Popular Culture in Urban Mozambique
How Morocco’s World Cup Run Reignited a Debate on Soccer Colonialism
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