Serious incidents of violence by both players and spectators at soccer games in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Gabon are described briefly. The article reviews theories on crowd behavior and deindividuation, whereby the individual feels that disruptive behavior is acceptable if done in the company of like-minded people. The author emphasizes that such theories do not address the causes of soccer hooliganism in black Africa because the underlying reasons are multifaceted, ranging from the trivial to the bizarre. Among the causes identified are bad officiating, loss of national pride when the team loses, allegations that players use magic charms to gain advantages, ethnic insensibility and the use of profanity, and the use of hooliganism to express political convictions. Over 20 suggestions to prevent and control soccer hooliganism focus on official rules; physical security; and severe penalties for violent behavior by teams, individual players, and spectators. 24 references.