The Away Game: The Epic Search for Soccer's Next Superstars (Paperback)
“An exhilarating, at times heartbreaking, and ultimately unforgettable journey that lays bare the true human stakes of the world’s most popular game.”—Warren St. John, best-selling author of Outcasts United
Searching for soccer’s next superstars, an audacious program called Football Dreams held tryouts for millions of 13-year-old boys across Africa. In The Away Game, Sebastian Abbot follows several of the boys as they chase their dreams in a dizzying world of rich Arab sheikhs, money-hungry agents, and soccer-mad European fans.
Sebastian Abbot worked for the Associated Press in Cairo and Islamabad, where he was bureau chief. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He lives in New York.
Masterfully weaves together the stories of boys from a renowned soccer academy in Doha in an illuminating narrative.
— Sports Illustrated
What a fantastic story: a soccer-themed mix of Hoop Dreams and The Sports Gene.… A tale with universal appeal to anyone who cares about the human condition.
— Grant Wahl, author of The Beckham Experiment
Every fan of international soccer must read The Away Game.
— Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water and The Chibok Girls
An excellent introduction to this shady world.
— Nicolas van de Walle - Foreign Affairs
— Sports Illustrated
What a fantastic story: a soccer-themed mix of Hoop Dreams and The Sports Gene.… A tale with universal appeal to anyone who cares about the human condition.
— Grant Wahl, author of The Beckham Experiment
Every fan of international soccer must read The Away Game.
— Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water and The Chibok Girls
An excellent introduction to this shady world.
— Nicolas van de Walle - Foreign Affairs