AFCON
Let this Africa Cup overflow!
By KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is unique and is bound to be a spectacular show. It is a return to the even-numbered year, even if it is a temporary one as the next edition returns to the odd-numbered year.
The hosting of this competition will go down the history books as the one that suffered most postponements. Originally to hold in 2019, it was shifted to another country – Egypt on account of facilities.
Again, it could not hold in 2021, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Even while moving it to 2022, the June-July new African football calendar could not be followed for climatic reasons.
The competition had to revert to the January – February calendar that was to have been jettisoned since 2017.
Like it happened three years at Egypt 2019, debutants are waiting to cause upsets at the delayed 2021 edition holding in 2022.
Comoros and Guinea Bissau are debutants ready to upstage the existing order just like Madagascar did three years ago in Egypt.
Yet, some powerhouses are glaring absentees. Zambia, South Africa and DR Congo are past champions who are confined to the spectators’ seats watching as Africa’s premier sports competition gets underway.
Absence of powerhouses is however not a new phenomenon. Seven times finalists of which they won three titles, Nigeria have had to suffer painful absence in 1986, 2012, 2015 and 2017.
Record seven-time winners, Egypt could not qualify for the 2013 edition. Even then, some strong teams have been reduced to strugglers in the competition.
The Nigerian side has won the losers’ finals more than any other country. In 2019, they were crowned third place winners for a record extending eight times!
What of the Ghana Black Stars? They were pace-setters, being the first to achieve a hat trick and win eternally, the original trophy after their 1978 victory.
Not done yet, when they won their fourth title in 1982, Coach Charles Gyamfi, a contemporary of Tesilimi Balogun of Nigeria, became the first coach to win the cup three times. He was Ghana’s coach in the successful outings of 1963 and 1965, thus also being the first to guide a team to back-to-back victories.
That has however been shattered by Egypt’s Hassan Shehatan’s success across three tournaments of 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Till date, Africa has witnessed 657 matches in the Africa Cup of Nations. The milestone 500th match was the Botswana versus Mali match in Libreville on 1 February 2012. Statisticians will have to look forward to 14 editions from now for thee 1,000th milestone game.
Perhaps more matches would have been recorded in the competition if entries had been explosive as it is now.
In the beginning, the African Nations Cup in 1957 had just three entries comprising Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia after South Africa, part founders of CAF, were thrown out owing to the prevailing apartheid policy.
By 1962, entry had risen to eight with the Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Ghana, Uganda and the then Zanzibar joining CAF. That necessitated the very first qualifying series that produced four finalists.
The competition expanded in 1963 from four finalists to six. More countries entered the 1965 edition in Tunisia, but the six-team format was retained. The edition which was the last to be held in an odd year witnessed the first political problem.
Egypt withdrew for not having diplomatic relationship with Tunisia. In its place, Sudan was invited, but declined. Then Congo was invited and accepted. Also, for the first time, leader in a group was decided by a toss of coin when Tunisia and Senegal tied on points. Tunisia won the toss.
By 1968 in Ethiopia, the format attained a definitive form of two groups with four teams and 16 matches in all. That format held on till Senegal ’92 when Isa Hayatou expanded the finalist teams from eight to 12.
They were divided into four groups of three teams. The oddity of the format was that a team was almost guaranteed qualifying for the quarter finals after winning its opening match.
Since 1998 in Burkina Faso, the 16 team format was adopted which changed to 24 at the 2019 edition.
Not always a smooth organisation, the Africa Cup of Nations had sometimes being enmeshed in political wrangling. The first time politics crept in was at the inaugural edition when South Africa was thrown out.
In 1965, Egypt pulled out for political reasons. The country was almost boycotting the 1990 edition in Algeria, almost for the same reasons after a bitterly contested game in the World Cup qualifying series and also, perhaps, a follow-up to the bitterness that had existed between Algeria and Egypt since a riot infest football match at the All Africa Games of Algiers ’78.
Nigeria also pulled out of the 1996 edition in South Africa after a political row that followed the execution of the “Ogoni 9”.
Hosting too, suffered instability. For instance, the 1980 edition hosted by Nigeria was originally awarded to Senegal in 1976.
Also, Morocco replaced Zambia as the 1988 hosts just as Nigeria and Ghana were called in to co-host the 2000 edition when Zimbabwe could not cope with the logistics.
Even the edition of 1996 which South Africa hosted was originally awarded to Kenya. Again, South Africa hosted the 2013 edition in place of politically troubled Libya.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially opened the bidding process for countries interested in hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2028, 2032 and 2036, with several member associations already submitting proposals.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe disclosed that the bidding exercise is progressing smoothly and described the level of interest from prospective hosts as encouraging.
“The bidding process is progressing very well, and numerous exciting bids have been submitted by potential host countries,” CAF said, adding that announcements on successful hosts will be made in due course.
Meanwhile, CAF confirmed that its 48th Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 21, 2026.
The continental governing body expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their cooperation in preparations for the event.
CAF said the General Assembly is expected to attract football leaders from across the continent and will play a significant role in shaping policies aimed at accelerating the development and growth of African football.
The organisation added that the Abuja gathering is expected to be one of its most significant assemblies in recent years as CAF continues implementing reforms across competitions, infrastructure development, youth football and governance.
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By Kunle Solaja
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have taken the first step towards jointly hosting the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations after submitting an expression of interest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Nigerien Football Federation announced that CAF had accepted the joint declaration submitted by the three West African nations, marking the opening phase of the bidding process.
However, the acceptance of the expression of interest does not amount to an award of the hosting rights, as the countries must still undergo CAF’s comprehensive evaluation process before a final decision is made.
The three football federations unveiled their joint project following a meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe in the United States during the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The proposed bid brings together the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States, reflecting their ambition to co-host one of Africa’s biggest sporting events and strengthen regional cooperation through football.
Earlier this month, CAF officially opened the bidding process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, inviting all 54 member associations to submit expressions of interest. The continental governing body said all bids would be assessed based on strict technical, financial and legal criteria.
As the next stage of the process, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso must prepare a comprehensive bid dossier outlining the proposed host cities, stadiums, training facilities, transport infrastructure, accommodation capacity and security arrangements.
CAF has yet to announce the timetable for selecting the 2032 host nation(s) or reveal the full list of countries expected to compete for the hosting rights.
Should the joint bid eventually succeed, the tournament would return to Mali for the first time since it staged the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. It would also mark a historic first for both Niger and Burkina Faso, neither of which has previously hosted the continent’s flagship football championship.
The bid underscores the growing trend of joint hosting arrangements for major football tournaments, allowing neighbouring countries to pool infrastructure and resources while expanding the reach of the competition across multiple nations.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, Brooklyn, NY
A document circulating widely on social media claiming that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stripped Morocco of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and declared Senegal champions appears to be fabricated, with official CAS records showing no evidence that a final ruling has been issued.
The claim emerged months after the Senegalese Football Federation appealed a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Morocco a 3-0 victory in the controversial AFCON final. While Senegal’s appeal is genuine, the latest official information indicates that the case remains unresolved.
One of the clearest indications that the viral document is not authentic is its case number. The circulating image bears the reference CAS 2026/A/10857, whereas CAS officially confirmed that Senegal’s appeal was registered under CAS 2026/A/12295. Such a discrepancy would not be expected in a genuine final award.
The document also incorrectly identifies the dispute as being solely between the Senegalese Football Federation and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. CAS has officially stated that the appeal was lodged against both CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, since the challenged decision originated from CAF’s Appeals Board.
The purported ruling further claims that CAS issued its verdict on June 10, 2026, accepting Senegal’s appeal, overturning CAF’s decision and restoring the result achieved on the field, effectively awarding the continental title to Senegal.
However, a review of CAS’s official communications reveals no statement, judgment or announcement issued on that date regarding the AFCON final dispute.
The latest public update from CAS remains the statement released on March 25, 2026, in which the court confirmed only that Senegal’s appeal had been registered and that an arbitration panel had been appointed. CAS also stated that it was too early to determine a hearing date or indicate when a final decision might be delivered.
In the same communication, CAS disclosed that Senegal had requested an extension to file its appeal brief until it received the full written reasons behind CAF’s ruling. The court also reiterated that arbitration proceedings remain confidential while ongoing.
That timeline directly contradicts the claims contained in the viral document.
Further doubts about the document’s authenticity stem from the fact that it does not appear in CAS’s official database of published decisions. The image circulating online also excludes CAF from the list of respondents and exists only as a low-quality graphic featuring signatures, stamps and an Arabic translation without any verifiable official source.
CAS typically publishes non-confidential rulings through its official database or recent decisions section. No ruling relating to the AFCON final dispute has been published.
Until CAS announces otherwise, CAF’s Appeals Board decision remains the only valid and enforceable ruling in the matter.
On March 17, 2026, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the AFCON final after its players left the field during the match. Invoking Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, the board awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, overturned an earlier disciplinary decision and upheld Morocco’s protest.
Senegal subsequently challenged that ruling before CAS, but the appeal has yet to produce a publicly announced outcome.
As things stand, there is no official evidence that CAS has revoked Morocco’s AFCON 2025 title or declared Senegal champions. Unless and until the Lausanne-based court issues a formal decision, CAF’s ruling remains in force, making the viral document misleading and highly likely to be fake.
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