Patrick Nutsuakor just disappeared. The talented African soccer player's family paid a sports "agent" $2,000 for the 21-year-old's ticket out of poverty - a chance to play professionally in Malaysia. But since he left Ghana three years ago, his family has not heard from Patrick. There are others like him, many underage, whose families were tricked by con men into turning their children over, only to be disappointed, abused or worse. It's a problem an international sports watchdog group says is being fueled by professional soccer and its undying demand for younger, cheaper talent. Jeff Glor went to Accra, Ghana, to investigate for a report featured on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 8:00 PM, ET/PT, on SHOWTIME.
"This is a very, very sensitive issue for football clubs and for the football industry in general," says Jake Marsh, an investigator for the International Centre for Sports Security, which tracks the hidden problem. Marsh says the clubs fail to acknowledge the situation, or, if they do, say it's a matter for the authorities. But neither the police nor governments seem to be interested.
"This is an area of sport that is being unchecked at present," Marsh explains. "I think the average football fan would be shocked if they actually were aware of what was happening...the industry they are watching is funding, indirectly, this...opportunity for criminals to take advantage of young players."
Glor went to Accra because the city is known as a fertile ground for young soccer talent. Teams from Ghana, many of whose players grew up in impoverished areas such as Accra, beat the U.S. in two World Cups. The city is ripe for corrupt agents who take money and make false promises of a life in Europe playing soccer.
"Clubs have money to spend these days," says Godfred Akoto Baofo, the general manager of a successful Accra club where agents seek young players. "And they're looking for players who can keep the product running out there. The best place to find cheap products? Africa. Unfortunately, not enough are making it through. A lot of them are falling by the wayside, and a lot of them are being left stranded in places as well."
A few do make it to the professional ranks. Many more find themselves in a foreign place, only to discover the harsh truth that they were lied to. "It's far too late," says Marsh. "And they're exposed to risks such as homelessness and physical abuse and even sexual abuse that we're aware of."
In addition to Marsh,
THE FAMILY of Nutsuakor and Baofo, Glor also speaks to young players and other leaders of the clubs they belong to that have nurtured their talent, but can also play a role in the trafficking problem.
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