Isn’t It Time We Talked About Sports UFOs?

Yes, Covid-19 is clearly a UFO, but not in the manner science has historically defined unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In any case, the virus flies, at least as science tells us, from animals to humans, and from humans to other humans. It flies as well, you know? Otherwise, why do we have to wear masks and keep a distance away from even our loved ones?

In this article, however, I take on a different slant. My UFOs are Uncelebrated Football Officials, and especially those in developing world contexts. How many FIFA certified Football Officials from Africa and the Middle East do you know?

But when you talk about football, names such as Mo Salah, Ngolo Kante, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang amongst many others, are household names.

I’m just reflecting upon my visits, in 2017, to Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) of the Georgetown University Qatar, as part of a working group held a under its research initiative on “Sports, Society, and the State in the Middle East,” where I led discussions on two working groups. First, the “Khaleeji Soft Power, Branding, and International Sports Investments” at the State in the Middle East Working Group I (12–13 March 2017). Second, “Unpacking the Internationalization of Middle East Sports Officials” Working Group II (24-25 September 2017).

Here’s a brief insight on my thoughts at the time, and a call to action on framing a research agenda on this important subject matter.

Nnamdi Madichie presented a paper titled “Unpacking the Internationalization of Middle East Sports Officials.” Madichie’s paper describes the trends, attitudes, behaviors, and changing configuration of sports participation in the region.

The proposition derives from my previous assessment, and decade old research in football, especially in Africa and the Middle East.

Madichie, N. (2009). Management implications of foreign players in the English premiership league football. Management Decision, 47(1), 24-50.

Madichie, N. (2010). Giving the beautiful game a “pretty” bad name: a viewpoint on African football. African Journal of Business and Economic Research, 5(1), 135-151.

Madichie, N. (2011). Sharjah Football Club (UAE): still kings? Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 1(4), 1-11.

Madichie, N. (2013). Ode to a “million dollar” question: does the future of football lie in the Middle East? Management Decision, 51(9), 1839-1860.

Madichie, N. (2016). Re-branding the Nigerian Professional Football League: open play or dead ball? Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 34(2), 256-280.

Madichie, N. (2019). A celebration of unsung heroes in football: a spotlight on Russia’s Leonid Slutski. International Journal of Business & Applied Sciences (IJBAS), 8(2), 93-120.