The Role of Mission Schools in the Development of Football in Nigeria, 1904–1994

Abstract The development of football in Nigeria owes a lot to the pioneering Christian missions in the country, especially, the schools they founded. This article examines the particular role that selected Catholic Mission Boys’ Secondary Schools played in this regard from 1904 when the first recorded football match was played in Nigeria, to 1994, when Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, qualified for the World Cup for the first time. This way, the article contributes to existing literature on: a) the history and development of football in Nigeria b) the role of Christian missions in the development of modern Nigeria c) the relationship between Christianity and sports, in this case, football.