The African
Nations Cup 2025, commonly known as the African Cup of Nations 2025
(AFCON), is the 35th edition of the flagship tournament of the
Confederation of African Football (CAF), and one of the most significant
sporting events on the African continent. Its role and impact on African
football (and beyond) have been immense – from boosting national pride and
player development to influencing infrastructure and economies. However, the
tournament and its governing body (CAF) have also faced their share of
controversies and challenges. In this article, we’ll explore how the AFCON
shapes African football, its broader influence, and some of the major
controversies that have arisen around it.
The Role of
AFCON in African Football Development
Showcase of
Talent
AFCON serves
as a grand stage for African players to showcase their talent to the world.
Many African stars first caught global attention at AFCON before landing big
opportunities. For instance, Cameroon’s Roger Milla became a global name after
his AFCON and World Cup exploits in 1990. More recently, players like Egypt’s
Mohamed Salah, Senegal’s Sadio Mané, and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez have graced
AFCON while already stars, but the tournament further cemented their legendary
status back home. The tournament has also been a springboard for lesser-known
players to secure club transfers; scouts from Europe and Asia closely watch
AFCON for emerging talent.
Continental
Champion and Pride
Winning the
AFCON is the pinnacle for teams in African football. It crowns the
“Kings of Africa,” conferring prestige and bragging rights. This success often
translates into a boost for the domestic game – increased interest in football,
higher participation at grassroots, and sometimes more government or sponsor support.
For example, when Zambia won in 2012, it galvanized investment in youth
academies and coaching in the country, aiming to build on that success.
Economic
and Infrastructure Impact
Hosting the
AFCON can be an economic catalyst. Host nations typically build or renovate
stadiums, improve roads, airports, and hotels to accommodate teams and
tourists. These infrastructure upgrades leave a lasting legacy. The 2010 AFCON
in Angola, for example, saw the construction of several new stadiums.
Equatorial Guinea (co-host 2012, host 2015) built facilities that later served
domestic leagues. While some stadiums have struggled with maintenance after the
tournament, the immediate effect is job creation and improved infrastructure.
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CAF’s
Flagship and Revenue Source
For CAF (the
governing body headquartered in Cairo), AFCON is the biggest event it
organizes. It’s a major revenue source through sponsorships (e.g., the title
sponsor TotalEnergies), broadcasting rights, and ticketing. These funds ideally
are reinvested into African football development – refereeing programs,
coaching courses, youth competitions, and club competitions. AFCON’s success
thus directly affects CAF’s ability to support member nations. According to CAF
communications, they aim for each AFCON to generate enough to develop
football across all zones of Africa.
Unity and
Identity
AFCON is a
festival of African unity. During the tournament, pan-African sentiment often
grows. People not only support their country but also celebrate African culture
broadly – the music, dances, and fanfare in stadiums are a display of cultural
richness. It’s akin to the Euros or Copa America in fostering regional
camaraderie (and healthy rivalry). As sports journalist Debbie Larry-Izamoje
noted, AFCON’s stature as a major tournament contributes to African identity on
the global stage, countering any narratives that belittle it.
Improvement
of Standards
Regular
competitive AFCON matches have improved the quality of play. Smaller nations
get to test themselves against stronger ones in qualifiers and sometimes in the
tournament, raising their level. For instance, Cape Verde and Comoros making
strides in recent AFCONs indicates that mid-tier teams are improving by
regularly participating. AFCON success has also often translated to stronger
World Cup performances by African teams: e.g., Ghana’s 2010 World Cup
quarterfinal came after they were AFCON runners-up in 2010, Senegal’s AFCON win
in 2022 was followed by a solid 2022 World Cup showing (last 16). The
tournament acts as a competitive benchmark for African teams on the world
stage.
AFCON’s
Impact Beyond the Pitch
Social and
Political Impact
Football in
Africa is beyond the football field, and deeply intertwined with
politics and society. AFCON victories have sometimes had political resonance.
When Nigeria won in 2013, then-President Goodluck Jonathan declared a public
holiday – a unifying celebration in a country often divided along ethnic or
religious lines. In 1996, South Africa’s triumph under Nelson Mandela’s
presidency was symbolic of the nation’s post-apartheid unity. Heads of state
often attend AFCON finals (as seen with Ivory Coast’s president celebrating in
2024), underscoring the political importance of football success. However,
that can cut both ways – failures can lead to public outcry and even government
inquiries (e.g., Ghana’s investigations after near-misses, or Cameroon’s
parliament discussing failures).
Football
Industry Growth
AFCON draws
global media coverage (viewership has soared; AFCON 2021 was reported to have
over 600 million TV viewers. This exposure increases marketability for African
players and teams. Sponsorship deals for national teams and domestic leagues
often see an uptick after AFCON – success or even a heroic run can attract
corporate partners. For example, after Senegal’s win in 2022, their federation
secured new sponsorships and better preparation matches, knowing they are
champions.
Club vs
Country Dynamic
One clear
impact AFCON has is on the relationship between European football clubs
and African players. AFCON traditionally held in January meant every two years
clubs had to release African stars mid-season. This led to tension and,
frankly, disrespect from some club managers or media calling the tournament an
“inconvenience.” AFCON’s move to June in 2019 was an attempt to alleviate that,
but climate issues moved 2021 and 2023 back to Jan/Feb. The expansion of FIFA
Club World Cup (with CAF acquiescing to shift the next
cup of nations according to reuters) to December, 2025 in order to avoid
clashes shows the push-pull of global scheduling. Many African players have
faced subtle pressure from clubs about AFCON participation. Despite FIFA rules
mandating release, there have been instances of players being asked to retire
from internationals or skip AFCON. The tournament’s importance, however,
usually prevails for the players – as noted by Rio Ferdinand, the pride in
playing AFCON is immense and outside comments belittling it are ignorant.
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Media and
Perception
AFCON’s
growing profile has challenged long-held biases. Historically, some European
pundits downplayed AFCON, but that is changing. The Carragher incident in 2023,
where the pundit implied AFCON isn’t a major tournament, drew sharp criticism
as being disrespectful. African voices in the media countered by highlighting
AFCON’s history (since 1957, nearly as old as the Euros) and star quality.
Such debates, while controversial, ultimately bring more awareness. AFCON
finals are now broadcast worldwide on major networks, and global stars proudly
talk about aiming to win the AFCON for their country (e.g., Salah and Egypt,
Mahrez with Algeria). This helps cement AFCON’s status as a major tournament
internationally.
Controversies
Surrounding AFCON and CAF
Despite its
positives, the African Nations Cup has faced numerous controversies and
challenges, often linked with CAF’s administration or external factors are;
Scheduling
Conflicts and Timing
As mentioned,
one perennial controversy is AFCON’s timing in the calendar. Historically held
in January–February, it clashed with European club seasons. This led to
complaints from clubs and some managers – famously, Liverpool’s manager Jürgen
Klopp once referred to it (jokingly) as a “little tournament,” which sparked a
heated exchange with an African reporter and later clarification by Klopp. CAF
moved AFCON to June/July starting 2019 to align with the global calendar (which
was welcomed by European clubs). However, climate realities in Africa (heavy
rains in mid-year in West Africa, extreme heat in some countries) and new FIFA
competitions forced a rethink. For 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, June-July was
unworkable due to the monsoon season; it moved to Jan 2024. For 2025, the
expanded Club World Cup in June 2025 forced CAF to shift AFCON to Dec 2025/Jan
2026. These changes have caused confusion and sometimes frustration among
stakeholders. CAF was even rumored to consider a shift to every four years (like
Euros) to reduce conflicts, but CAF strongly denied that idea. Balancing the
traditional timing with global pressures remains a contentious issue.
Player
Release and Club Pressure
While not CAF’s
fault per se, the pressure on African players by some European clubs not to go
to AFCON has been a controversial topic. Cases have emerged of clubs allegedly
threatening reduced playing time or contract issues if players choose country
over club mid-season. This has put CAF at odds with powerful clubs. FIFA’s
stance officially supports AFCON as an official tournament, yet European club
associations have lobbied for adjustments. This has led to a feeling among
African fans and officials of a lack of respect for AFCON. As Debbie
Larry-Izamoje notes, the hesitation of European clubs to release players and
the lesser investment from global sponsors are signs of AFCON fighting for the
respect it deserves. CAF’s role is to defend its tournament’s integrity, which
it tries, but the controversy lingers each edition with media noise about “club
vs country.”
Infrastructure
and Organization Issues
Some AFCON
editions have been marred by organizational problems:
Stadium
tragedies
The most
somber was the stampede at Olembe Stadium in Cameroon in 2022, where 8 people
died and dozens were injured when crowds tried to force entry for a Cameroon
match. This raised questions about CAF’s oversight and Cameroon’s readiness.
CAF had earlier expressed “serious concerns” over Cameroon’s preparations. The
quarter-final was moved from Olembe as a result. Such incidents cast a shadow
and spurred controversy over safety protocols.
Refereeing
fiascoes
AFCON 2021 (in
2022) also saw a bizarre refereeing controversy when referee Janny Sikazwe
ended the Mali vs Tunisia group match prematurely – twice (first in the 85th
minute, then after restarting, he blew at 89:45). Tunisia was furious as they
were trailing 1-0 and protested the result. CAF initially scheduled the match
to be resumed, then gave Mali the win when Tunisia refused to return to the
pitch. It turned out Sikazwe had heat stroke and confusion, but the incident
became a viral moment and embarrassment for CAF officiating.
Host
Withdrawals and Changes
AFCON hosting
has seen instability. For instance, Morocco refused to host 2015 on its
scheduled date due to Ebola outbreak fears, CAF removed them as hosts (and
banned Morocco from the 2015 edition initially), hastily moving the tournament
to Equatorial Guinea at the last moment. In 2014, CAF stripped Cameroon
of 2019 hosting (citing delays), giving it to Egypt; then Cameroon got 2021
(held 2022). Guinea was stripped of 2025 hosting due to infrastructure
concerns, leading CAF to reopen bids and eventually award 2025 to Morocco.
These changes bring controversy – nations invest in bidding and partial prep,
only to lose hosting. It also fueled allegations of politicking within CAF
(some said Cameroon’s ouster in 2019 was also because of CAF leadership
rivalries at the time).
Tournament
Expansion
The expansion
from 16 to 24 teams in 2019 had supporters and critics. Supporters say it gives
more nations experience, reflecting more member nations (54) and aligns with
Euros expanded format. Critics argue it diluted quality and created logistical
challenges (like needing more stadiums, low attendance at some group matches).
Some coaches have claimed the addition of best 3rd-placed qualifiers can reward
mediocrity (teams aiming for third). CAF went ahead, but debate continues if 24
is optimal or if it strains hosts (especially smaller countries).
CAF
Governance and Corruption Issues
The
administration of CAF has faced serious controversies as well. Longtime
president Issa Hayatou’s tenure (1988-2017) had allegations of corruption (he
was reprimanded by IOC for a bribe in 2010 related to FIFA bids, etc.). His
successor, Ahmad Ahmad (2017-2021), was suspended by FIFA for financial
misconduct (accusations of misappropriation of funds and sexual harassment).
This tumult at the top affected CAF’s reputation. Financial transparency issues
like audits have revealed missing funds. A notable scandal was a reported $24
million financial discrepancy in CAF’s accounts that FIFA helped audit in 2019.
Such news hurt credibility and raised questions on whether AFCON revenues are
managed properly. CAF’s marketing deals have been controversial too. In 2019,
CAF canceled a long-term marketing contract with Lagardère Sports after a court
ruled it anti-competitive, throwing AFCON TV rights into some chaos. These
governance controversies indirectly impacted AFCON – during Ahmad’s turmoil,
there was even talk of FIFA possibly taking temporary charge of running CAF
events to ensure smooth operation (which CAF members resisted for sovereignty
reasons).
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Host
Selection Controversies
CAF has tried
to spread AFCON hosting across regions, but has faced criticism. West and North
Africa have hosted frequently, while Central and East less so. The award of
2027 to East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) was applauded as historically
East Africa had not hosted since 1976. Sometimes host selection is seen as
political. Awarding 2019 to Egypt on short notice (Egypt had just hosted in
2006) was seen as a “safe pair of hands” decision but some thought CAF favored
heavyweights. Conversely, giving 2025 to Guinea (decided back in 2014) proved
overly optimistic given Guinea’s limited resources – some say CAF’s
expectations didn’t match reality, leading to eventual stripping. Also, human
rights or political concerns: Equatorial Guinea hosting in 2015 and co-hosting
in 2012 drew some criticism because of its authoritarian government, but CAF
has generally stayed apolitical about hosts (most recently, Cameroon’s internal
conflict in Anglophone regions in 2022 raised security questions, but AFCON
went ahead there).
Media and
“Respect” Controversy
One recurring
theme is the battle against the marginalization of AFCON in global football
discourse. You hear pundits like Jamie Carragher (as cited earlier) or even
club-centric fans refer to AFCON as an “obligation” or mid-season nuisance.
This is deeply offensive to African fans. Rio Ferdinand called those comments
“ignorant” and pointed out AFCON is a major tournament and should be respected
as such. African journalists and ex-players often have to remind the world that
AFCON is older than the Copa America in its current form and nearly as old as
the Euro, and that its players are world-class. The fact that this conversation
exists highlights a lingering Eurocentric bias.
CAF and African media push back
by promoting AFCON’s high viewership, competitive matches, and the fact that
some of the world’s best players prioritize it. The influence of such
perception controversies can’t be understated: it can affect sponsorship and
investment. If global brands see AFCON as secondary, they invest less. Debbie Larry-Izamoje
argues that African football leadership (CAF) needs to market AFCON as
premium and not play catch-up or accept being viewed as lesser. The
responsibility partly lies with CAF to assert the tournament’s value on the
global stage.
Security
and Political Strife
At times, AFCON
qualifiers or finals have been affected by political instability. E.g., in
2010, Togo’s team bus was attacked by terrorists in Angola’s Cabinda enclave
prior to the tournament, leading to multiple deaths (Togo withdrew). CAF
controversially banned Togo for the next two AFCONs for withdrawing (citing
government interference in pulling them out), which was seen as heartless and
caused an uproar. CAF later lifted the ban after criticism from FIFA and
others. That incident is one of the darkest in AFCON history. Ongoing conflicts
can also raise concerns: 2013 AFCON in South Africa had to contend with
protests by some groups, 2008 in Ghana faced some crowd violence after Ghana’s
semifinal loss. CAF’s stance is usually to press on with tournaments unless
absolutely impossible, but it’s had to adapt (e.g., moving matches from risky
venues).
CAF’s
Response and Evolving Strategies
CAF has been
trying to address some controversies. For instance, they have improved prize
money for AFCON, attempting to incentivize respect. As of 2021, winners got $5
million, runners-up $2.75m – still far from Euro or Copa America prizes, but
higher than before. They’ve also worked on better scheduling. For example, CAF
aligns AFCON qualifiers schedule with other confederations now, so clubs
release players in international windows (no more club games during
qualifiers). The new CAF leadership under Patrice Motsepe (since 2021) has made
transparency noises. They quickly dealt with the CAF/FIFA audit
recommendations, ended dubious contracts, and are seeking more sponsors. Under
Motsepe, CAF also aims to launch a new African Super League for clubs to bring
revenue – indirectly that could benefit AFCON by raising overall standards.
CAF
also occasionally stands up to disrespect: e.g., issuing statements to clarify
AFCON’s importance or engaging with European clubs to smooth issues. But some
feel CAF should be more vocal on the global stage defending AFCON. Controversies
aside, it’s clear that AFCON’s positives outweigh the negatives for African
football. It’s a tournament that fires up the continent, improves the game,
and creates legends. But CAF’s management of it, and the environment around it,
has room to improve. As Africanews
and other outlets have pointed out, issues like scheduling and infrastructure
are solvable with planning. Corruption and governance require continued reform
and maybe greater involvement of independent bodies to ensure fairness. And
battling the perception issue means showcasing the quality of AFCON – something
easily done when one watches a thrilling match with the passion of the fans and
skill on the pitch.
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Conclusion
The CAF
Africa Nations Cup plays an indispensable role as the crown jewel of
African football. It has elevated African football by providing a competitive
arena and revealing talent. United nations and inspired generations, from the
streets of Accra to the favelas of Douala. Driven improvements in stadiums and
infrastructure in host nations. Added to global football diversity, reminding
the world that football’s heart beats just as strong in Africa. Yet, it
operates amid challenges like scheduling dilemmas, the club-versus-country tug-of-war,
administrative hiccups, and occasionally tragic events. These controversies
have at times marred its image or posed hurdles, but they have also sparked
important conversations and changes.
CAF finds
itself balancing many stakeholders – players, clubs, governments, fans,
sponsors. Its decisions around AFCON often attract scrutiny. As African
football matures, there’s a growing demand for CAF to be more transparent,
professional, and assertive. The impact of AFCON is overwhelmingly positive,
but maximized only if run optimally. This means learning from past
controversies which includes ensuring safety and organization (no more stadium
disasters or referee errors overshadowing games). Continuous fight for the
tournament’s respect internationally (as in demanding proper release of players
and highlighting AFCON’s global significance).Rooting out corruption so that
AFCON revenues truly uplift African football at all levels. Managing scheduling
with foresight to avoid last-minute changes that cause chaos.
Conclusion
AFCON has proven resilient – it has thrived
through political boycotts (apartheid-era South Africa was barred until 1996),
security threats, and even a global pandemic (AFCON 2021 was postponed but
successfully held in 2022 amid COVID measures). Its importance is underscored
every two years when new stories emerge – whether it’s an underdog like
Madagascar 2019 making quarter-finals, or heavyweights like Algeria 2019
asserting dominance. In essence, the AFCON is a mirror reflecting African
football’s strengths and struggles. Its role and impact are overwhelmingly
beneficial: fueling passion, showcasing talent, driving development. The
controversies around it, while serious, are being addressed and must continue
to be resolved by CAF with transparency and accountability. As fans,
journalists, and players often emphasize, AFCON is not just a tournament – it’s
a celebration of African unity and sporting excellence. Going forward, if CAF
can navigate the controversies wisely, the Nations Cup will only grow stronger,
continuing to be – as it has been for over 60 years – the pride of African
football.
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