Fake Agents Traffic Thousands of Players from Africa a Year - Super-Agent Speaks Out

Young players in Africa stake their money, their reputation, their lives on making it big in Europe. Erkut Sogut speaks out

Human trafficking in football is a global crisis hiding in plain sight. In West Africa, tens of thousands of young players are deceived by fake agents promising trials with prestigious clubs in Europe. These scams often strip families of their life savings, leave aspiring athletes stranded in foreign countries, or worse, result in tragic consequences for those who never reach their destination. Behind these schemes lies a vast, loosely organized network of individuals profiting off the dreams of others.

Fake agents thrive on social media platforms, forcing their victims to promote tournaments and apps, which ensare more players. The clubs and academies complicit in this system often evade scrutiny.

Erkut Sogut, one of the world’s most prominent football agents, has taken a unique approach to expose these practices. He has travelled extensively in Africa to document the trade and trains agents on several continents.

Sogut spoke at length with The Sports and Crime Briefing about his on-the-ground investigations in Africa and why efforts to stymie this scam fail miserably.

Sports and Crime Briefing: You are one of the most prominent agents in the world and have been outspoken about the need to crack down on fake transfers. You have even written novels about this crisis. How did you become so concerned about it?

Erkut Sogut: I have been on the ground in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya, as I don't like to investigate without having been there.