The impact of football fanaticism on the wellbeing of young men in Nigeria: Implication for social work practice

Abstract Football is a very popular sport among Nigerian youth. However, football, which was intended to entertain, has engendered hostility as well as other negative effects among fans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of football fanaticism on the well-being of young men in Nigeria. We invited 24 male participants to a single in-depth semi-structured interview using a qualitative descriptive design. We utilized thematic analysis approach while analyzing the qualitative data. Our findings showed that younger men in Nigeria hold some positive perceptions about football fandom. However, fandom has had an unexpected impact on young adults, increasing physical and psychological risk factors such as violence, anxiety, and suicide. Our research adds to the emerging field of social work and sports in Nigeria and globally as well as fandom as a risk factor for suicide, for the consideration of social workers. Social workers, in roles such as program facilitators, psychotherapists, tele-counseling, and educators, could assist young people in developing a healthy football support life.


Introduction
Football, also known as soccer in the United States, is arguably the only global sport, with an estimated 3.5 billion followers, making it the most popular sport (Topend sports, 2021). Football is the most-watched, most-played, and most-supported sport in the world, according to Hassabi et al. (2010) and Kramer et al. (2018). Football viewing has been identified as an activity that helps people relax, escape from everyday stress, and cope with trauma, anxiety, and pressure (Knoll

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Anthony Obinna Iwuagwu is a teaching staff of the Department of Social work, University of Nigeria Nsukka. He holds both B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in social work and has some refereed publications to his name. Anthony is interested in social work research and intergenerational welfare and caregiving. Chiagozie Prince Ekoh is a teaching staff of the Department of Social work, University of Nigeria Nsukka. He is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Calgary, Canada. He has a wider interest in intergenerational caregiving and has published widely in refereed journals Christopher Ndubuisi Ngwu (Ph.D.) is a senior lecturer in the Department of Social work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He specialized in medical social work and teaches undergraduate courses such as social work and youths, legislation and policy, medical social work, and disability. Dr. Christopher has publications in reputable peer-reviewed journals. Akwasi Adjei Gyimah is a Ghanaian and a research fellow at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. et al., 2014;Pringle, 2004;Vallerand et al., 2008Vallerand et al., , 2014. Football fandom-the term used to describe a person's affiliation with a specific football club-has also been shown to provide people with a sense of identity and community (Clasper, 2017). It has demonstrated a remarkable ability to foster connections and a sense of belonging among people of various political, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and to bring them together in a peaceful setting (Dross, 2009). The culture of football fans known as "football fanaticism," is evolving in such a way that it may have an impact on social relationship patterns now or in the coming years (Tade, 2014). For example, football fandom and fanatism have become an avenue for some fans to vent their rage and create fan groupings (Saint-Aberdeen, 2010), endangering people's lives and well-being while also affecting fans' mental health (Kramer et al., 2018). Given the recent reports of mental stress and mortality associated with football fanaticism (Brawn et al., 2015;Pruna & Bahdur, 2016) and the paucity of literature in Nigeria, a study on the impact of football fanaticism in Nigeria is timely.
Nigeria is the most populous African country, with a projected population of over 200 million people (United Nations Development Programme [UNDP], 2021); however, the population is still very young, with a median age of 19 years. Many Nigerians are passionate about football, just as they are about religion. For example, it is estimated that 100 million Nigerians enjoy football (Cheeron Nigeria, 2019). As a result, many Nigerians identify as fans of European football clubs, while local football clubs receive less attention (Igundunasse & Ojiji, 2016). According to data, 34% of Nigerians identify as a fan of any European football club such as Chelsea, 33% with Manchester United, and 23% with Arsenal (Noi Polls, 2018). Association with a specific football club frequently leads to arguments with fans of other clubs. This often transcends to hostility and, as a result, violent behavior among opposing fans (Adachi & Willoughby, 2014;Findlay & Bowker, 2009;Mental Health Foundation, 2018). Football fanaticism has resulted in violence among young people in Nigeria (Akpodonor, 2019;Diaz, 2018;Information Nigeria, 2018). For example, most Nigerians enjoy watching football in public viewing areas/centres known as pubs in the United Kingdom, and in some cases, fans of the opposing team verbally assault themselves, displaying strong emotions, acrimony, violence, and hooliganism toward the opposing team (Omobowale, 2009). Furthermore, young people who expect to be happy from watching football may become sad and depressed when their team performs below expectations. Kramer et al. (2018) found a correlation between football fanaticism, depression, and anxiety-induced heart failure, which is supported by death reports from Nigerian football fans. After Chelsea lost to Barcelona in the Champions League in 2012, a Chelsea fan was reported to have collapsed (Olakotan, 2012). A recent example is the reported death of a Chelsea fan in Enugu State as the FA Cup was being handed over to rivals Leicester City (Emmanuel, 2021). Over 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 engage in active sports betting, with nearly $2 billion spent on sports betting every day in Nigeria (Premium Times, 2014). Among football fans in Nigeria, football betting has been an increasing phenomenon (Owonikoko, 2020). Football betting is an aspect of sports betting which involves placing wagers on predictions of football matches-otherwise called gambling which could result in financial gains or loss (Owonikoko, 2020). Loss of money and valuables through football betting has reportedly caused suicide ideation and deaths. For instance, a Nigerian living in Ghana committed suicide in August 2020, following Barcelona's 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League due to the high stakes he placed in the game (Akyereko, 2020). Furthermore, religious and ethnic divisions are sources of conflict in Nigeria (Paden, 2015), while football fandom has reportedly promoted unity amid religious and ethnic tensions (Burkati, 2017). Nonetheless, European football fanaticism is now quickly becoming a source of contention in Nigeria (Dogari et al., 2018). All of this demonstrates that football, which is supposed to unite people and bring them joy, has become a source of pain for many. This has resulted in a greater emphasis on mental health in football-related issues such as fandom, as studies have revealed higher levels of depression among fans (Brawn et al., 2015;Pruna & Bahdur, 2016), as it affects emotions, relationships, identity, and self-esteem (Bizman & Yinon, 2002;Cottingham, 2012;Hunt, 2003;M.H.F, 2018).

Social work and sports
The profession of social work is primarily concerned with improving human well-being, fostering interpersonal relationships, facilitating social change, and promoting human coping capacity, as well as protecting the interests of the vulnerable or those at risk (Isangha et al., 2020;Ngwu et al., 2022;Ogar et al., 2021;Okafor et al., 2020). Sport-including football and fandom, has long been used in social work to prevent, intervene, research, and advocate. Scholars argue that in the early 1900s, Jane Addams, a well-known social work pioneer, used sports and athletics to promote health and well-being, facilitate community and cultural integration, build relationships between people and institutions, and engage hard-to-reach immigrant groups (Anderson-Butcher & Bates, 2021;Reynolds, 2017). In the last decade, sports social work has emerged as one of the most exciting new areas of social work practice, education, and research (Moore & Gummelt, 2018). Sport social work is becoming more prevalent in a variety of settings, including professional and collegiate sports organizations, as well as youth sports settings. Sports are used by social workers in afterschool, school, and community-based settings to address critical mental and health challenges, and to enhance and renew health and wellness in the lives of individuals, families, groups, and communities. It is also used to engage multiple sectors in sports traditions, events, and ceremonies to support a sense of attachment, interconnection, and social inclusion (Serra, 2015). However, despite these expanded roles, social work interventions utilizing sports, football, or fandom have been understudied and lacking in the global literature, particularly for youths (Anderson-Butcher & Bates, 2021). The only studies on football and sports fandom in Nigeria have focused on sports and media (Ojo, 2018;Onwumechili, 2018) and sports betting among youths (Akanle & Fageyinbo, 2019;Adebayo et al., 2017). These studies are inadequate because they did not investigate the role of social workers in sports or football fanaticism. Understanding how sport, football, or fandom can facilitate wellbeing or affect fans, is critical for informing future interventions and clinical practice models in Nigeria and globally.

The present study
This study differs from other studies on football fandom around the world by exploring the roles of the social work profession in Nigeria with a strategic perspective to combat the negative outcomes of football fandom in Nigeria and globally, given the profession's core tenet of human and societal wellbeing (International Federation of Social Workers, 2014). The researchers believe that this will help to promote positive outcomes within and among football fans, as well as interpersonal relationships, group solidarity, and communal well-being. As a result, the following objectives are addressed in this study: (1) determining football knowledge and passion in southern Nigeria, (2) investigating the negative impacts of football fandom on fans in southeastern Nigeria, and (3) discussing the implications of the findings for social work practice.

Methodology
The study was conducted in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state. Nsukka was chosen for this study due to the high population of young people in the area who are drawn to Nigeria's premier University (the University of Nigeria, Nsukka) and other academic institutions (Ezeh & Ugwu, 2010). Nsukka covers an area of 486.2 Km 2 and has an estimated population of 417,770, with a high proportion (173,601) of the young population (City Population, 2020). Inhabitants of Nsukka are mostly from Igbo Ethnic groups and most of them are adherents of the Christian religion. Cluster sampling was then used to stratify the study area into Nru, Nkpunano, and Ihe n' owerre. Out of the clusters, Iheagu, Nguru, and Ihe communities were selected using simple random sampling by balloting (Ritchie et al., 2014;Silverman, 2013). Purposive/convenient sampling was used to select participants based on the following criteria (a) aged 18 years and over, (b) male gender who self-identifies as a football fan and residing in the study area, and (c) ability to give informed consent and communicate in English. The interviews were done between March to May 2021, and a total of 24 male participants were sampled for the study. The study's rationale for sampling male younger adults is that they are generally more interested in football than those of other ages and gender (Lange, 2022). Soccer interest levels in the U.S, 2022), thus would provide rich information based on the study's aim. We used the qualitative research method because we wanted to get a detailed description of the study issue (Mason, 2002;Ritchie et al., 2014). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and each interview commenced after the information sheet had been read to the participants and the consent form was signed by the participants. We also assured the participants of confidentiality and anonymity, as well as their right to refuse or withdraw from participation at any time (British Sociological Association, 2002;Wiles et al., 2008). The interviews were conducted outdoors in areas preferred by the participants, and the researchers ensured that all COVID-19 preventive measures were followed, including strict social distancing and the use of facemasks by both the researchers and the participants. We conducted a pilot interview with two male football fans to discuss the wording of the questions, appropriate timing, and how sensitive questions would be asked (we did not include data from this pilot in the analysis). The interviews lasted between 45-60 minutes, were audio-recorded, and conducted in English by three trained researchers (Author 1, Author 2, Author 3). A semi-structured interview guide was used, which was self-developed based on the study goal. Some of the questions that we asked participants included (a) what are your views about football fandom? (b) how does football fandom affect you? We probe participants based on their responses throughout the interviews. Field notes (reflective and field observation notes) were used throughout the study to enhance rigor, and we took note of both the verbal and nonverbal expressions of the respondents. Again, we identified our "Subjective I's"-the assumptions and beliefs that the research brought into the research (Kalu, 2019)-and recorded the possible influences these assumptions may have on our data collection and analysis in our reflexive notes. Some of the authors, for example, are social workers with varying specializations and sociocultural backgrounds. They wrote their assumption about football fandom in Nigeria and consciously returned to it, reflecting on how it influences data collection and analysis. To further improve the trustworthiness of our study, we adopted double coders (Author 1, Author 3) at each stage of our analysis and employed peer-member checking. For example, all four independent scholars who are experienced in thematic analysis examined and provided feedback on the themes. Ethical approval for this study was granted by an ethics review board at the primary authors' institution.
Data analysis occurred concurrently with data collection, and we continued to sample until we reached data saturation (Saunders et al., 2018). All three authors did a verbatim transcription of the recorded interviews. Using Nvivo 12 computer software, two of the researchers (Author 1, Author 3) adopted an inductive coding approach to code the data into nodes; thus, they did not have pre-existing codes but allowed the codes to emerge as they read through the transcripts line by line. The two coders also met to discuss the coding book, resolve discrepancies, and identify themes. They created a working draft coding book, as well as defined and applied different units of analysis as they continued data collection and analysis. Despite having a working draft coding book, two coders continued to code line by line to ensure that the respondents' original perspectives were not lost. The coding started from simple descriptive codes to more analytical abstract codes. Proliferated codes were merged, and related codes with solid associations were arranged in a coding tree of parents and child nodes (Mason, 2002;Silverman, 2013). Following the coding, thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, which involves exploration, interpreting, and reporting patterns of meaning with data (Braun & Clarke, 2006;Ritchie et al., 2014). The themes emerging from the codes were then assigned thematic labels and, themes without sufficient evidence were discarded (Braun & Clarke, 2006). These thematic labels were then used to present the findings of the analysis. We assigned pseudonyms to participants during data analysis and reporting, to ensure their anonymity.

Findings
Three main themes and seven sub-themes were identified from the narratives of the respondents. The main themes reflect the perceptions about fandom, psychological impact and antisocial behavior, and risk of harm. Table 1 (see appendix) highlights the major themes and associated sub-themes that emerged from the data analysis.

Theme 1: Perceptions about football fandom
Our study findings show that participants hold some positive perceptions about football fandom. Participants expressed love and passion for the game. Also, participants perceived fandom as unifying among youths, building social relationships, and having economic benefits through betting.

Love and passion for the game
All the participants of this study expressed their love and passion for football and fandom. They narrated how they watch all the European games and FIFA world cup games with joy and happiness. Some of the younger participants further said that they watch old football clips; games that were played before their birth, because they want to know everything that has happened in football. According to the findings, it is a source of pride for these young people to know detailed information about football events by heart, and it is also a source of pride to win football arguments or be the reference person when others argue because of one's knowledge of the game. A Liverpool FC fan stated: " . . . football is like my second love . . . I have been following the game of football since I was a kid, and I can tell you almost all the football events that took place in the game even before I was born. My friends know that I am very good at watching football, citing historical football events, and predicting the outcome of current matches, hence they nicknamed me 'FIFA'. For instance, when people are arguing on football events and consequently place a bet, they often sought my opinion to determine the winner of such argument and bet" (Emeka, Student, 23 years old).

Unifying factor
Some of the participants added that the passion for the game helps build a spirit of cohesion amongst young people. They argued that young Nigerians put away their ethnic and religious differences during football games. Their passion for football creates a feeling of oneness as they come together to support one team. Some participants also argued that their hatred for a particular football team also unites them: "I am a Manchester United fan and anybody that hates Chelsea is automatically my friends, the enemy of my enemy is my friend" (Ikenna, Apprentice, 20 years old). The older participants also expressed their enthusiasm for watching and supporting the Nigerian Super Eagles team, emphasizing how it inspires people of various ethnicities to love themselves. A fan of Super Eagles (Nigerian National Team) had this to say:

Social cohesion
Again, some of the participants stated that football provided an avenue for them to meet other young people. They argued that watching football in a crowded viewing center gives them more joy compared to sitting at home alone to watch the games. A Manchester City fan expressed his joy at watching football in viewing centers: " . . . of course, I have a satellite dish at home, but I prefer going to viewing centers to watch the premier league matches. This is because of the large crowd you find there. The crowd creates an atmosphere you don't get at home, and most importantly, you get to meet and interact with old and new friends especially those who share the same fan base" (Abel, Civil servant, 32 years old).

Economic gains
Some participants also claimed that their love of football stems from their ability to make money through football betting. According to the findings, participants believe that the more knowledge you gain from watching football games, the better you can predict the outcome of games, which presents an opportunity for income generation. They discussed how football betting helps them cope with the country's poor economic situation; some students stated that it helps them pay their academic bills. A Bayern Munich fan summarised this thus:

"I thank God for the gift of viewing football, it does not only give me joy; it also has enabled me to become a pundit (sic). Consequently, I win bets always which I in turn use to sponsor my Higher National Diploma program at a Nigerian Polytechnic. I also look forward to
becoming a football analyst in the future" (Chukwuma, Student, 26 years old).

Feeling of anxiety
Results above have shown the participants' passion and the positive impact of football on them; however, the analysis also revealed that football is a source of fear and anxiety for many of the young participants. They stated that they are afraid of their teams not winning football games because their friends will mock and throw banters on them. This was more prevalent amongst the Arsenal fans. They stated that they have become the subject of mockery in the football world and that they are always afraid of losing games to smaller teams because of the memes and jokes that will flood social media immediately following the loss. An Arsenal fan narrated: Similarly, data analysis showed that betting on football, which brought income and joy for some participants, is also a source of fear and anxiety for other participants. They are always scared of losing their money when they bet.
"Sometimes I will bet and the games will be entering (in-process win), I get excited and start thinking of how much I will earn and all the things I will use the money for. Suddenly a small voice will whisper in my ear 'what if this bet cuts (to lose the final bet)', anxiety will take over suddenly. It becomes worse when it is the last game to decide the fate of my bet ticket" (Nwaorie, Public servant, 39 years old).

Anger and frustration
Football was also revealed as a source of anger and frustration for the participants. Many of them revealed that they feel very angry when their teams are not performing well. Analysis showed that Manchester United fans expressed more feelings of frustration compared to others; they felt that their team is very inconsistent and prone to disappointing them when their hopes are high. Many of them mentioned references from the recently concluded Europa League, expressing their outrage at their team's defeat to Villareal. One Manchester United fan had this to say: "My team is so unpredictable, and this is fucking annoying, they are like cryptocurrency, very volatile; they will make you angry this week and make you smile the next week. Whenever I become too frustrated with them and decide to stop watching, they will start performing well. They are just toying with my emotions like women do when you like them . . . imagine losing the Europa league after everything" (Chuma, Student, 22 years old).
Other football-related issues were also found to frustrate and anger the football fans. Many of them were angry with the recently proposed and defunct Super League. They argued that it will kill the game they love, sighting that club owners do not care about the fans but just wants to make money "that Super League thing made me very angry" (Chike, trader, 32 years old). Some were also frustrated by the management of the teams they support. Some Chelsea fans stated that the constant changing of their managers is frustrating, while some Manchester United fans and Arsenal fans were angry that their managers have not been sacked, echoing #OleOut and #ArtetaOut respectively.

Theme 3: Anti-social behavior and risks of harm
Football was also found to put young people at risk of physical harm and death. Anger, anxiety, and frustration can lead to football fans harming themselves and others. Others stated that the passion for the game can easily become anger and has led to so many quarrels and fights. Many of the participants recounted experiences of fights breaking out at the viewing centers because the fans of opposing teams are mocking the supporters of a losing team. This results in behaviors such as property destruction, fighting, injuries, and in extreme cases, death. A Manchester United fan narrated one of his experiences: "One day we were watching football at this view center, I think it was Chelsea verse Newcastle when Jose Mourinho was their manager for the second time. Chelsea was losing, we were all laughing at them, and you know these Chelsea fans can be brutes and louts, one of them just stood up and turned off the television, and this led to a serious fight between Chelsea fans and others. Other fans beat the hell out of the Chelsea fan that turned off the television on that very day" (Elvis, Student, 21 years old).

Suicidal ideation and deaths
Furthermore, some participants highlighted how their fellow fans died because of football fanaticism and betting. They stated that some of their fellow fans committed suicide because football results did not go as expected

Discussion
Our study set out to explore the impact of football fanaticism on the well-being of young men in Nigeria. This is an area that has received very little scholarly attention in Nigeria and globally, especially from social work practitioners and researchers. This study, along with existing literature, found that football fanaticism has some advantages. It gives fans pleasure and helps them relax (Pringle, 2004;Vallerand et al., 2008), it helps build social cohesion amongst young people as they come together to support a particular team (Clasper, 2017;Dross, 2009). They socialize at viewing centers, and their knowledge of football, which they use to win arguments, contributes to their increased self-esteem and self-worth. At viewing centers, they meet new people and form social bonds (Bizman & Yinon, 2002;Cottingham, 2012;Hunt, 2003;M.H.F, 2018), and some fans have stated that their passion and knowledge for the game help them win bets, which they use to solve financial problems.
Social workers who are primarily focused on improving human and societal well-being could adopt some of these advantages to improve the well-being and social life of young people in Nigeria. Football fandom, for example, has been shown to help young people relax, which can help them cope with stress, reduce depression, and build resilience. Thus, social workers should encourage younger adults to engage in positive fandom, citing its benefits to health and wellbeing. Football fanaticism's socialization and social cohesion can be used by social workers to promote unity among youths (Burkati, 2017;Dogari et al., 2018), especially in multi-ethnic communities where cultural differences often breed social conflict. Furthermore, the knowledge of football helps young people build self-worth and improve their self-esteem. Thus, this can be adopted by social workers in confidence-building exercises within the youth population and can help in engagement during social work interventions.
However, some of these features of football fanaticism which have brought pleasure to young people have also been a source of pain for the youths. Similar to the findings of other studies (Brawn et al., 2015;Fagbemi, 2018;Kramer et al., 2018;Pruna & Bahdur, 2016), our study revealed that football fanaticism is associated with feelings of anger, anxiety, and frustration, which led to fights at viewing centers, destruction of properties, bodily injuries, suicide, and manslaughter. This has a great impact on the well-being of young men both in Nigeria and globally. Given the study's findings on the impacts of football fandom, the question of what social work practitioners could do to reduce these vulnerabilities among soccer fans is appropriate. This highlights the need for professional interventions aimed at assisting young persons in developing a healthy sport-loving lifestyle free of risks to their lives and well-being. Thus, social work-a profession that prides itself on enhancing human wellbeing, promoting interpersonal relationships, facilitating social change, promoting human coping capacity, and optimum functioning of individuals and groups (International Federation of Social Workers, 2014;Isangha et al., 2020), can play a role in improving the well-being of football fans. Although the emerging specialized area of social work in sports globally has largely focused on alleviating the needs of athletes and providing them with resources where necessary, there is a need for social workers to also pay attention to fans who are considered the 12 th member of the team, due to the connection that fans share with their respective football clubs.
Although football betting benefits some financially, it has negative financial effects on others which sometimes snowball into deeper psychological stress such as suicide. Our findings show that when results do not go as planned or when fans lose bets placed on football teams it sometimes results in suicide ideation and deaths. Increased participation of social workers in suicide prevention efforts may lower suicide risk in groups and individuals at high risk of suicide, as well as in the general community (Levine & Sher, 2020). Social workers can help reduce the prevalence of this problem by identifying and providing cognitive behavioral counseling or therapy to football fans, especially those often involved in betting. Social workers should also advocate for the establishment of therapy centers in each district for football fans who may be at risk. Social workers should also raise awareness among football fans about the availability of such facilities and services and enlighten fans on the merits and demerits of football betting. This could be accomplished by raising awareness about the therapy centers through advertisements on television screens during football games and by leveraging media advertisements to offer tele-counseling. To reduce the prevalence of betting, social workers should lobby policymakers to place an embargo on bets and related adverts on television and mobile phone screens. Social workers through football governing bodies could also facilitate the testing and implementation of our proposed intervention "Fan First-Aid Therapy"-aimed at providing physical and mental health therapy to football fans at pubs/ stadiums where they gather to watch matches of their national or local teams. Social workers should also lobby local authorities to make provision of "Fan First Aid Therapy"-comprising social workers and other multi-disciplinary professionals and law enforcement agents such as the police, to be present at viewing centers (pubs) in case of psychosocial emergency. Since football fandom and its implications cut across younger adults, social workers should also facilitate suicide prevention community programs and education, suicide prevention hotlines, psychotherapy, care signposting, and tele-counseling on football fandom and mental health. With a strong understanding of diversity and differences in choices and opinions, social workers can use deradicalization methods to change football fanatics through education and sensitization aimed at empathy and understanding of football as a game with winners and losers that should be enjoyed rather than become negatively emotional.

Conclusion
Our research contributes to the emerging field of social work and sports by highlighting the roles of social workers in assisting young people to have a healthy football support life, as well as laying the groundwork for future research on social work and sports globally and in Nigeria-an area that has received low scholarly attention. We conclude that sports fandom and the social work field need more empirical evidence given the predicting influence of fandom on youth well-being.

Study limitations and strengths
Although our study is the first to offer some insights into football fandom and social work in Nigeria, we must admit that it has some limitations. We did not conduct participant member checks. This strategy would have improved the credibility of our study's findings; however, we did peer-member checking which portrays the credibility and trustworthiness of our findings. Furthermore, we only sought the opinions of Nsukka residents in Southeast Nigeria, and only those who could speak English were sampled. Therefore, we caution against the generalizability of our findings to other areas. Future research into football fandom and social work in other areas is recommended to compare findings.