Nigerian photographer and filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu's (Mother of George, Restless City) 2006 collection The African Game explores the diverse relationships between soccer and "modern African culture, life and identity. A compelling, on-the-ground depiction of Africa's passion for soccer," Dosunmu's striking photographs of stadium crowds and fans from across Cameroon, Senegal, Togo, Côte D’Ivoire, Angola, Ghana, Tunisia, and Egypt were published alongside lively essays by writer Knox Robinson. In a recent interview with NYU Abu Dhabi, Dosunmu expanded on the vision behind The African Game:
"The pictures go beyond the sport itself," Dosunmu mentions. "I wanted to document how soccer was celebrated on the continent. It’s a joy. It’s a gathering. It’s a place of fun. When you look at European soccer fans, or most soccer fans around the world, there’s always this hooliganism that is attached to it. I wanted to show a different kind of soccer spirit. My soccer pictures are really about the fan. I wanted to capture them. It’s about the joy that comes across. I really tried to focus on the passion and the people. I’m not an voyeur. I’m an insider myself, so it made it easier to capture those moments."
The African Game is currently on display from March 4 to March 14 at the NYUAD Arts Center in Abu Dhabi as part of the Kicking + Screening Festival. Browse through a gallery of select pictures from the exhibition above.
