Does the Africa Cup of Nations get enough respect?

The next men’s Africa Cup of Nations, or Afcon, starts on 21 December in Morocco. The tournament has been moved around the calendar to avoid clashes with other competitions, including Fifa’s inaugural Club World Cup – while in many major media outlets, Afcon is often talked about in terms of how it affects African players’ availability for European club sides. Some pundits have also argued that performances at Afcon aren’t given the same weight as those at equivalent continental championships, like the Euros or the Copa America. But with the tournament set to feature many of the world’s leading players, including Mo Salah, Victor Osimhen and Achraf Hakimi, is football guilty of disrespecting Africa’s most prestigious trophy?

Ugandan football journalist Usher Komigusha argues that perceptions of African football have hugely changed among football fans around the world, but administrative and scheduling issues continue to cause problems for the tournament’s image – and points out that, though the location for the 2027 Afcon is confirmed, the actual dates are still to be announced.

Patrick Suffo was part of the Cameroon side that triumphed at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring a penalty in the decisive shootout against Senegal. He says that, despite playing a big part in the careers of some of football’s most celebrated players, coverage of Afcon can still sometimes have a condescending tone. He also thinks European clubs who spend big money on African talent shouldn’t feel aggrieved when they go to play for their international sides.

The BBC’s John Bennett also speaks to former African Footballer of the Year Kalusha Bwalya, who was part of the Zambian squad that stunned the continent by reaching the final of the 1994 tournament. He’s saddened that questions about Afcon’s importance in world football are still being asked, and says the sport’s governing bodies need to treat the tournament with the same seriousness as equivalent competitions.

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