AFCON and the politics of Africanhood

“Morocco is witnessing an unprecedented footballing renaissance. Its officials’ decades-longstrategic endeavor to promote football has paid off by enabling both its men and women teams to outperform their competitors in recent years. After playing the semi-final game of the World Cup in 2022, winning the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, and winning the Arab Cup in Qatar in December 2025, the country is currently hosting the African Cup of Nations until January 18, 2026. The AFCON’s opening ceremony—which...