Do African Players Working Abroad Change Once They Become Famous?

A lot of Africans are willing to leave their countries in search of opportunities in developed countries. Many of them will not think twice if allowed to spend just a night in any of these countries to understand their desperation.

Well, African footballers also are in this category. The struggle is understandable; they all want a better life for themselves, primarily as most Africans are known to be living in extreme and abject poverty. Due to the lack of funding, Africa’s home-based footballers do not enjoy the same facilities as those playing abroad.

On the other hand, foreign leagues are run as businesses, allowing players to earn massive wages. So, an African footballer playing abroad could make more per week than a home-based footballer earns for a whole year—some play without getting paid for a complete season.

However, playing in an entirely new environment with outstanding facilities and massive wages often leads to behavior changes for most African footballers. At times, they tend to become annoyingly arrogant and unapproachable. The reason for this behavioral change is not farfetched; they now earn better than their fellow professionals back home, plus they have been able to widen their connection with important people.

Most players with this type of behavior do not always enjoy the support of their home communities. Most people’s expectation back home is for African players playing abroad to sustain the culture of giving back to society. This includes building hospitals, schools, and other projects, especially for the less privileged.

While the above is just a case of some players, others have learned to sponsor various charity projects, maintain social connections with their former teammates, and help them get better relationships.