Gianluigi Buffon decided to become a goalkeeper after watching Cameroon’s Thomas N’Kono in Italia 90. The legendary Italian goalkeeper named his first son after him too. N’Kono was nicknamed the ‘Black Spider’ for his immaculate reflexes; he conformed to the African stereotypes of flashy attires, snake-hips that swayed during celebrations and was once arrested mid-match for allegedly performing black magic on the ground. He was not the only one in history too.
As decades rolled on, numerous footballers from Africa became idols for young footballers in Europe and the world. George Weah became an icon in Serie A; Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba and Mohammed Salah were revered as club talismans; Africa hosted a World Cup, it would co-host one in 2030; it exports elite footballers (124 players across 62 clubs in Europe’s top five); scouts from Europe dig every corner of the vast continent in search of unpolished football gold as they once did real gold and diamonds; African nations continue to win admirers in World Cup; Morocco, semifinalists in Qatar, is a genuine powerhouse.
Yet, the African Nations Cup is bewilderingly under-watched, existing as the upstart cousin of Euro and COPA, despite a history as old as those tournaments and socio-cultural influences as overarching as those in Europe. Maybe, it originates from Europe’s powers to shape football-world views, from its self-serving perceptions of the event as a league-spoiler. Jurgen Klopp once belittled it as a “little tournament”. He later claimed he was misunderstood and praised the tournament for “its quality, talent and history.” Managers moan and negotiate with the managements of respective countries to stretch the deadlines of players joining the national teams. Buckling to pressure, Fifa reduced the deadline from two weeks to six days.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. (FILE photo)
Scheduling, inviolably, is counter-intuitive for the tournament’s appeal, but the blame lies more with the Fifa than the African confederation. The 2025 edition was pinned for June and July, but was pushed back on the insistence of Fifa boss Gianni Infantino, so that the Club World Cup could be fitted into the window. Staging the tournament has experienced frequent hiccups too. The last time the tournament was held at the pre-decided country and followed the calendar was in 2012, with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea playing hosts. The reasons ranged from civil wars and political upheavals to Ebola and construction delays; the continent is still reeling from the wreckings of colonialism, the poverty and conflict it had bequeathed.
The football world had been empathetic in words but not deeds. Fifa fetishes the African votes; it has 54 voting members, its largest vote bank in the world. It’s a huge market for the sport, as 16 percent of the world’s population live in Africa.
Yet, the heart remains in Europe, its tunes composed to their ears. The brand of football is perhaps not evolved or systemised as Europe because most of the nations are young and just scrambling to life.
The most condescending is the loyalty test. West Ham’s striker Sebastien Haller, from Ivory Coast, was once so incensed when asked whether he would set the club duties aside for his country, that he retorted: “This question shows the disrespect for Africa. Would this question ever get asked to a European player ahead of the Euros? Of course I am going to the Africa Cup.”
Sebastien Haller in action. (AP photo)
For all the shortcomings and stereotypes, glitches and chaos, it is not only an important tournament but also a highly thrilling one.
Football has flair, is not system-fixated and doctrinal, but more spontaneous and thus exciting. It is both quick and physical, dramatic and intense. The bicycle kick goal from Morocco’s El Kaabi in the opening game embodies the free-spiritedness. It has been the blockbuster movement the tournament had craved for global attention. The outrageous goal has won the audience, who have turned to zealous AFCON converts. As had several years ago Lakhdar Belloumi, the Algerian who invented the blind pass. “We were,” he would once famously say, “the Brazilians of Africa.” Algerians were stylists—Riyad Mahrez, the former Manchester City winger, is carrying the lineage forward.
Most games are open and see goals. Only one game, thus far, has ended goalless. The average goal per game is 2.2 thus far, better than COPA and on level with Euros. The qualifying stages are so competitive that four-time champions Ghana did not progress this time. Nigeria did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup either. Upsets are the overriding theme. Unsung Zambia denied Ivory Coast’s golden generation the title in a frenetic shootout in the 2012 final; Burkina Faso spun a golden run to the final of the 2013 instalment. Some of the tournament rules have been downright comic. Like using draw of lots to eliminate teams level on points in the group stage (in 2015). Derbies are heated affairs. Red cards are frequent.
New names barge into the consciousness. Like Ivory Coast’s 19-year-old Yan Diomande, or Algerian midfielder Fares Chaibi, or Zimbabwean forward Tawanda Maswanhise. Some of them are already in Europe; some soon would be. It’s the same old cruel story of the colonial days, the gems of Africa shine the brightest in the markets of Europe. There are but stories of resilience, like Zambia’s. It lost 18 players in a plane crash in 1993, but 19 years later, won the AFCON.
All that the AFCON needs for recognition is a World Cup winner from the continent. It could be the game changer for the sport in the continent. Until then, it could be the outlier Fifa keeps bullying. But AFCON, for all the Europe-scented derision and trivializing, is fun and joy to watch.