Of particular concern is the growing trafficking and smuggling of young African footballers to Europe via countries in North Africa. While only a handful of young African footballers will succeed in Europe, thousands dream of becoming the next Sadio Mané or Mohamed Salah. Many aspiring young footballers get stuck there, with no money to buy a ticket home or settle their accumulated visa fines. Young African footballers are victims of one of the fastest-growing human trafficking networksThe trafficking begins when African 'agents' - usually part of a network with kingpins in Europe - approach young footballers in local leagues directly or through social media. FIFA should also set out common certification requirements for football agents and establish a hotline for reporting unscrupulous or fake agents.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 25, 2022 05:10 UTC