The African Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco on Sunday, Jan. 18, did not disappoint. AFCON is basically the World Cup, but only for African nations. The tournament holds great prestige for the players and countries involved and has been known to have numerous memorable moments. This year was no different.
The tournament concluded with Senegal beating Morocco 1-0 in extra time, in a dramatic match played in the rain in Marrakesh, Morocco. Even though the tournament takes place in Africa, which is bigger than both Europe and South America, the coverage pales in comparison to the Euros or Copa America.
In the eight minutes of added time, a goal was wrongfully disallowed against Senegal. Morocco was awarded a penalty and Senegal went back to its locker room in protest. Once it came back out 20 minutes later, Brahim Diaz of Morocco missed the penalty, attempting a Panenka, trying to chip the ball in the center of the goal. Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored in extra time, picking out the top right corner, solidifying Senegal’s second-ever AFCON win.
Throughout the match, Moroccan ball boys attempted to steal Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel. This prompted backup goalkeeper Yahvan Diouf to stand guard behind the goal, even getting into a staredown with Morocco midfielder/winger Ismail Saibari. The AFCON final on its own contained more drama and iconic moments than the last World Cup in 2022.
So why doesn’t it get the same publicity and attention as the Euros or Copa America? Because the tournament takes place during this time of the year.
AFCON always occurs in the winter months, as heat would be too harsh for those involved; the same reason the 2022 World Cup was held in winter in Qatar.
About one year ago, English football pundit Jamie Carragher shared his thoughts on why certain players like Mohammed Salah or Sadio Mane don’t get the recognition they deserve. This comment drew criticism from fans, other pundits and former players, especially those from African nations.
On the BETWinner podcast, Nigeria legend John Obi Mikel responded to Carragher’s comments saying, “I’ve played in it, I’ve won it, it’s not his f-ing place to discredit that African nation, it’s not his place.” Obi Mikel continues saying, “He didn’t win the Premier League, and he sits there week in week out telling people, teaching, coaching, trying to tell people how to win the Premier League.”
It’s worth mentioning that neither Carragher nor England has won the Euros or World Cup since 1966. The problem is that the press and media coverage of AFCON comes from English analysits and personalities.
Every single World Cup winner has come from Europe or South America, and only once has a World Cup been hosted in Africa, and only once has an African nation made the semi-finals, that being Morocco in 2022.
The AFCON happens every two years, while the Euros and Copa America happen every four and have had plenty of incidents involving poor preparation and human rights issues. They still get the best TV deals or media coverage. To watch the AFCON matches in the U.S., you need the beIN Sports Network, which very few people, if any, have.
The tournament features some of the best players in the world, Victor Osimhen, Salah, Mane and Ademola Lookman, to name a few. The passion from fans is unmatched and tickets are cheap given the tournament’s prestige.
The public perception of the tournament is a lack of structure and less funding compared to the Euros and Copa America. In general, the press doesn’t pay nearly as much attention to Africa as it does to Europe or the U.S., so people naturally wouldn’t care as much about AFCON as they do about the Euros.
Despite world-class players, iconic moments and idolized passion, the tournament still struggles to overcome long-term issues it once faced. Experts advocate for content from big names like Netflix and Amazon to broaden their horizons, but until then, the tournament still stands in the shadow of every other football competition.
