Relational Networks, Information Asymmetries, and Recruitment in Ivorian Soccer: The Case of Espérance FC Bouaké

Abstract

This article examines the social mechanisms shaping recruitment and the negotiation of sporting engagements at Espérance Football Club de Bouaké, a club competing in Côte d’Ivoire’s Ligue 2. The qualitative investigation draws on fifteen semi-structured interviews with players whose trajectories differ, along with observations conducted in the club’s training and social spaces. Players’ accounts show that access to tryouts and to the roster does not depend on performance alone: it frequently requires a recommendation from a coach, former player, or intermediary. Such mediation reduces uncertainty for recruiters but distributes visibility and opportunities unevenly. players with limited schooling or weak support networks have less access to information regarding compensation, the duration of contracts, and prospects for mobility. On this basis, the article proposes the concept of an “asymmetrical relational market” to describe a configuration in which unequal control over relationships and information is converted into bargaining power. The case reveals a sports labor market embedded in relationships of trust yet marked by dependency and urban professional inequalities.

Keywords: Ivorian soccer; sports recruitment; social capital; information asymmetry; intermediation.

Received Date: August 17, 2026

Accepted Date: September 09, 2026

Published Date: October 01, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/1064