In 1987, two years before the Congolese grand maître Franco died (although never substantiated, it is widely believed because of AIDS), he released “Attention na Sida” (Beware of AIDS). Today’s new generation of Congolese musicians hasn’t forgotten. Préservons-nous.–Tom Devriendt
The 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco was a dramatic spectacle that tested the limits of the match and the crowd, until a defining moment held everything together.
From national redemption and continental dominance to personal legacy and political ambition, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final means everything to Africans.
Why focusing on attendance figures at the 2025 AFCON is the wrong way to measure the tournament.
The rivalry between Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah pushed them to unprecedented heights, but also links two seemingly distant and disconnected villages.
The volcanic temperament and irresistible brilliance of the footballing star converge as the Super Eagles close in on continental glory.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations marks a transition period for the Nigerian men’s national team. This could be good for them (and the nation).
While international media focuses on the legacy of Mohamed Salah during this Africa Cup of Nations, Egyptians are focused on a pair of identical twin brothers.
While most sports in South Africa are inseparable from the national political imagination, men’s football manages to stay relatively removed.
Does the development of African football necessitate a trade off in vibes at continental tournaments?
How the Congolese national team has become a rare source of unity, recognition, and solidarity for communities living through war.
What the presence of an unlikely trio of football icons at AFCON tells us about migration, African identity, and the histories that continue to shape the modern game
How Senegal rose to become one of the most fertile grounds in African football, and why this success still struggles to transform the local football economy.
Comment le Sénégal est-il devenu l’un des viviers les plus prolifiques du football africain, et pourquoi ce succès peine-t-il encore à transformer l’économie du football local.
What it sounds like on the ground in Morocco at the 2025 edition of Africa Cup of Nations.
In Morocco, football has become a site for the slow re-Africanization of the country’s national identity.
The Super Eagles don’t suffer from a shortage of talent, but represent a country unwilling to admit that greatness is not a birthright.
Distanced at club level, and scrutinized at home, there is no player with more to prove at this Africa Cup of Nations than Mohamed Salah.
Bafana Bafana’s resurgence has been forged where South African football always lives—between brilliance and the bizarre.
An African Cup of Nations at home for red hot Morocco is a chance to put past trauma aside and charge on to the world stage.
This year, instead of taking a publishing break, we will be covering the African Cup of Nations. To transition, we consider why football still matters in an era of enclosure, mediated presence, and thinning publics.