The game behind the game
The football gambling industry across Africa preys on the risk factors built into the game. The only viable solution is investing in durable, developmental frameworks at the grassroots level.
SPORTS
How to fix a match for $280
Burundi’s football league rarely draws headlines — making it an easy target for match-fixing networks now entrenched in its top division.
Truquer un match pour 280 dollars
Le championnat burundais fait rarement les gros titres — une discrétion qui en fait une cible facile pour des réseaux de matchs truqués désormais ancrés dans l’élite.
Between fandom and dissent
Eritrea’s recent progress in AFCON qualifying offered a rare feel-good moment, but new player defections underline how fragile that progress remains amid the country’s political realities.
You can’t kick politics out of football
Despite commercialization and elite capture, the world’s most popular sport still generates forms of collective life that resist the logic of capitalism.
In Guadalajara, we found joy
In Guadalajara, fans from three continents celebrated football together in what was a taste of a World Cup that most won't be able to afford or attend.
À Guadalajara, nous avons trouvé la joie
A Guadalajara, des fans venus des trois continents ont célébrer le football ensemble dans un avant-goût de ce que sera, pour eux, la Coupe du monde : une fête à laquelle ils ne pourront pas assister
Waiting to believe
After years of heartbreak, Congolese fans are guarding their expectations ahead of a decisive play-off for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Remember AFCON?
Behind the refereeing drama and rising revenues, AFCON 2025 exposed a tournament increasingly shaped by global capital rather than the long-term health of African football.
Bread or Messi?
Angola’s golden jubilee culminated in a multimillion-dollar match against Argentina. The price tag — and the secrecy around it — divided a nation already grappling with inequality.
Who is AFCON for?
From air travel costs and border regimes to television culture and class exclusion, the problem of attendance at AFCON is structural, not because fans lack passion.
À qui s’adresse la CAN ?
Entre le coût du transport aérien, les régimes de visas, la culture télévisuelle et l’exclusion de classe, le problème de l’affluence à la CAN est structurel — et non le signe d’un manque de passion des supporters.
Lions in the rain
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.
What’s in an AFCON final?
From national redemption and continental dominance to personal legacy and political ambition, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final means everything to Africans.
Between Bambali and Nagrig
The rivalry between Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah pushed them to unprecedented heights, but also links two seemingly distant and disconnected villages.
The untameable Victor Osimhen
The volcanic temperament and irresistible brilliance of the footballing star converge as the Super Eagles close in on continental glory.
Grounded expectations
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).
The twins who shaped Egyptian football
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.
Where are the politics of Bafana Bafana?
While most sports in South Africa are inseparable from the national political imagination, men's football manages to stay relatively removed.
Just touched down in Morocco
Does the development of African football necessitate a trade off in vibes at continental tournaments?