We Need To Talk About The Africa Cup of Nations

[@blessingsulaiman4516]

As an African, I’m very proud of the openning monologue

[@sam_sa09]

Right there with you

[@lorocator]

Latin American here and all federations are corrupt, but what is annoying is double standards. Everytime we keep learning more about past World Cups and is all corrupt, even if your team wins still is not just down to football like they want to sell.

[@darkjudge8786]

Obviously. Because it's all a lie

[@scaph_1909]

​@@darkjudge8786 elaborate

[@Alfie_1]

Since you are discussing African football, could you consider making a video about the presence of private football academies in Africa, the impact they have, and can have, on youth development, and the potential negatives? In addition to the benefits to clubs like Metz, with Generation Foot, and Nordsjaelland with Right to Dream.

[@Sinklebarn]

Great suggestion!

[@RotteNygard]

Since you’re referring to Nordsjælland, I would like to throw in FC Midtjylland from Denmark as well - who too have done much for young African players and communities around them. But a great idea!

[@shawklan27]

Want to see the same with UK football honestly. It would be interesting enough.

[@Alfie_1]

@@shawklan27 true, my club were just forced to start an academy to comply with Premier League rules, Brentford, and many of our u18s, which is our only academy team in fairness, were signed from independent academies.

[@Alfie_1]

@@RotteNygard they are more open to scouting from everywhere, their owner until two months ago owned Brentford who I support as well, and took the same data driven strategy, but was even more successful there, in terms of ‘obscure’ scouting. The young African footballers are the best example, as many won’t have even represented their youth teams .

[@anthonymweti8564]

Also another Afcon story that isn’t spoken about is how Zambia won their one and only Afcon trophy in Gabon in 2012, the country where the tragedy of the plane crash involving the Zambian national team took place. It was a truly inspiring underdog story and a great tribute to the team that had perished there.

[@sagbon98]

Also the fact that for the subsequent 2013 FIFA Confederetions Cup, there was a playoff between the last two CONCACAF Gold Cup champions, USA and Mexico for qualification but there was no playoff between the 2012 AFCON champions, Zambia and the 2013 AFCON champions, Nigeria and Zambia didn't even get a chance to contest for a tournament that was cancelled after 2017 and AFCON went from even years to odd years.

[@KestonChola]

​@@sagbon98woah that's just sad! And the fact no one talks about it, is actually worse! I didn't even know about it, till you mentioned it! So in that case, thanks for the information. The Zambian national team should have been given the opportunity to play against Nigeria, for a chance to compete at the 2013 conferations cup!

[@sagbon98]

@@KestonChola exactly! I was surprised when it was announced that the 2013 AFCON Champion would qualify directly. I even did research and the only articles about this state that their coach at the time, Herve Renard (who later coached Saudi Arabia to beat Argentina) slammed CAF for not allowing them to take part.

[@actiondrexx]

Alfie, you are one of the few true football journalists left. Actually, one of the best

[@the180degreerule3]

he said everything a decent african would want to say right? 😂 😂

[@davidbowie5023]

African football is always a fascinating story. The AFCON is largely unpredictable and troublesome, yet at the same time only a few could triumph. I have an honour to watch the AFCON back in 2019 and 2021 on TV and I was pretty impressed with the unpredictability. Unlike the also ongoing AFC Asian Cup, Copa America, Euros or CONCACAF Gold Cup, the lack of a clear definition of a truly strong team is so relevant in Africa, where teams can always surprise. Sadly, Africa's huge talent pool being so badly managed might have contributed to the stereotype of African corruption.

[@edenhazard2751]

It's unpredictable because Africa still has lot of untapped football market. Any African country spawn wonderkids unexpectedly which leads to unpredictability in tournament. Asia still has long way to go to develop football atmosphere where there are countries like India which has population of 1.42 billion which is more than full continent of Africa which has 1.2 billion lol, if India, China and rest of South, South-East and Central Asia develop their footballing culture, then we would have real world Cup on our hands because right now, it's just Europe vs South America in World Cup.

[@davidbowie5023]

@@edenhazard2751 There are thousand of incredible young African kids who are seen as emerging superstars. Sadly, as I stated, bad management often leads to eventual ruins. Africa’s inability to fulfil despite enormous resources it have shows how hard to achieve.

[@shawklan27]

It sucks to watch has a Nigerian really

[@FORZAPOTENZA]

I feel like there's world class players in most of the teams, but no team has world class players in every position. Maybe that's part of the spectacle. Wasn't there a final where it went to penalties and the goalkeepers had to take pens?

[@hitthurdeaux]

I think the well-documented African corruption is what contributed to the stereotype of African corruption

[@detectivesquirrel2621]

On the rare occasions when we have had coverage in the UK of the African Nations it has been some of the most entertaining and exciting I have ever seen.

[@muvimagic588]

Thank you for making this video. Growing up in Zimbabwe, AFCON was every bit the staple that the world cup was in my house. Having left and grown even fonder of football, particularly European competitions, it's been easy to not recognize how little it's valued anywhere else and the extent to which I'd started to undervalue it too as a result. Football is as exciting and as colorful in Africa as it anywhere else if not more so. If you get the chance to, WATCH THE AFCON!!

[@VenomTNT]

Im portuguese, and i started watching the afcon during the last one, it was become probably become along with the asian cup, my favourite continental tournament. It is incredibly fun, and im always supporting the portuguese speaking countries, and having immense fun watching it. During the euros, im mostly a nervous wreck over portugal's chances of winning, cant really relax😅

[@Lucaz99]

⁠@@VenomTNTI’m Brazilian but I happened to be living in Portugal around the Euro 2004. I cheered so hard for Portugal that tournament, that final was one of the hardest things to watch. 2016 was somehow worst because it went to extra time…but with a happier end.

[@moderatecanuck]

Where???

[@captaincortez4917]

Well, I'm watching the one happening right now in Ivory Coast, and DAMN, I've been missing out! So many memorable moments already!

[@dangibson2641]

Absolutely love AFCON, been watching it since 2004. There was a real golden age from 2006-2015 when West Africa especially was just churning out world class stars, and it's been interesting to see North African sides come to the fore in more recent years. Particularly love how the biggest sides change with every passing generation. The idea that Morocco and Senegal would be the two biggest teams on the continent would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

[@tz5116]

I was in Tunisia in 2004....what a big party it was!

[@rohithraman6488]

Yeah true. I predict those two teams to be in the final this year. Two fantastic sides with very good players

[@hitthurdeaux]

Morocco is a traditional power of Africa, and Senegal is a long time second tier power, neither of those are “unthinkable” in the long run but you are absolutely correct in the ebb and flow nature of African football

[@chris.48]

⁠​⁠@@hitthurdeauxMorocco is a powerhouse? They’ve only got one afcon mate. Egypt has the most with Cameroon having the second most so yes it’s unthinkable

[@betootaadvocate1966]

My first afcon was 04 Tunisia as well. Then watched Egypt 3peat the competition but couldn’t qualify for World Cup. 2004-early 2010s golden afcon period my favourite was 2008 Ghana 🇬🇭

[@anthonymweti8564]

One thing I love about the Afcon is that there is no such thing as an underdog, a team full of stars who play in Europe can easily be beaten by a smaller nation, i.e. Cape Verde just beat Ghana in their opening match, and Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria struggled to win their games as well. As an African I thank you for this video 🙏🏾

[@JP-oe4ry]

a gamblers goldmine ;)

[@GreekHouseEffect]

Namibia beat Tunisia. Wild

[@mazdakmina9493]

So in short, AFCON is like every other competition in that respect, and contains all the excitement, crazy storylines, and drama that the World Cup, Euro Cup, and Copa America all contain! :) In short, if you love the World Cup, Euros, and Copa America, you will love AFCON! :) :) I completely agree!

[@abstraqtphilosophy7357]

​@@JP-oe4ryrather, a goldmine for a true lover of competitive football.

[@PortiaManti]

Bs it is not even close. The Euro group stages are a warm up tournament. The world cup is slighty better but it too with the extension is fairly dully. Nothing compares to Afcon or you one of those who think Africa can't undo others. The knockout stages of this year are all different from the last tournament. I will wait foe your stereotypical pallarell example​@@mazdakmina9493

[@krisnikolaev6560]

THANK YOU! I've been watching the AFCON regularly for the last 10 years or so, but I've always had to explain myself as to why - people just don't realise how brilliant this tournament is, mainly because of said perceptions of African football as a whole. This tournament seems to be every bit as worthy of watching as the previous ones (just look at Cabo Verde beating Ghana yesterday), so I highly recommend it again.

[@TheGlaveror]

Ok I don't what are you people smoking but the level of football at African cup is atrocious. Games are barely watchable which I always found surprising considering the players there.

[@PortiaManti]

​@@TheGlaverorget the blinkers first out okay. But i guess you can't you were born like that

[@onunka16]

Awesome video!!! As a Nigerian American it is great to see someone go in depth about the tourney and why it’s unfortunately overlooked.

[@Sluetch90]

I've been watching the competition for years. It always looks so good. Obviously there are a lot of English based players in it & watching them for those countries whilst they're not at their clubs is decent.

[@simonealicante]

I've also been watching the competition for years, but also the Hoever moment in the video several times

[@joel425]

Alfie: inaccurate story from 3 years ago bad. Also Alfie: DR Congo launch baseless allegation because they didn't qualify😂

[@archstanton6102]

​@@joel425 Can you explain what you mean about his inaccurate story?

[@joel425]

@@archstanton6102 Allie is moaning about western African "stereotypes" whilst proving them gold.

[@archstanton6102]

@joel425 I think you are misunderstanding his point - he is showing how this 3 year old story demonstrates how European media reports African football stories. Alfie is not endorsing the stereotypes.

[@WhoFootball]

Such a powerful video. Thank you for making this Alfie. I appreciate you for shedding light on this topic and so many other topics as you do in all of your other videos. When starting my own channel, I realised that you are one of the people I definitely want to take inspiration from. Thanks for the great content man, keep it up!

[@continentalrcinglg]

Let's be honest: If one ranked the six major continental competitions, AFCON would rank #3 on most people's lists behind the Euros and Copa (for me, it would be: Euros Copa AFCON Asian Cup CONCACAF Gold Cup OFC Nations Cup).

[@nellyb743]

I'd argue it's second behind Copa America honestly. Fewer teams compete in CA and while the overall level of talent may be better (obviously, with powerhouses such as Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay among others) the competition is stronger in Africa because the qualification is tougher and more stringent, and also the differences between the best and the worst teams are quite large, so there's always more potential for Cinderella stories and crazy upsets. I just feel like it's a more exciting tournament overall.

[@jonasfrohwitter8553]

@@nellyb743 you mean second behind the Euros, right?

[@Blueflag04]

Asian Cup should be ahead of Africa Cup because its more popular

[@JRB11528]

Strangely enough proportionally Concacaf does better at the world stage than Africa or Asia.

[@bababababababa6124]

@@JRB11528doesn’t mean anything. We’re talking about the tournaments themselves and AFCON and AFC simply have more pedigree and higher profile players than CONCACAF, especially when you exclude Mexico and the US

[@mbos322]

As an Australian, I remember Graeme Poll’s farcical refereeing that attempted to boot Australia out of the World Cup.

[@apropercuppa8612]

They don't need a dodgy ref for that. They're capable of losing on their own.

[@professorskye]

Great work! It should be said that the French football content creators talk A LOT about AFCON and their coverage is very even. Maybe due to more African players in Ligue 1? Different attitude towards colonialism?

[@CosmoOfTheKramers]

Likely due to the large North African origin diaspora in France, compared to the other big 4 European nations. I think England's black population's roots like more in the Caribbean than Africa, I might be wrong on this.

[@goodpandubadpandu]

Thank you so much for this, this was much needed. Many of my friends from this great continent really cherish and love the AFCON and it means a lot to them. Please make a video about the Asia Cup.

[@penepleto1210]

The negative stigma against African football is so strong and internalized, that when seeing the title and thumbnail of this video, I immediately assumed it was talking about a massive corruption scandal. I was extremely pleasantly surprised to click on it and discover it's a sublime defense piece speaking about the actual most valuable asset of all of Football: the people. Great video. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for posting this.

[@ryanrudder2275]

Thank you so much for making an honest, nuanced & unbiased video about this competition. It.s wholly refreshing to see this in a KZbin video. I love your videos, keep up with it!

[@bababababababa6124]

This better not be a video complaining about it being mid-season 😂 Edit: Okay thankfully it’s not and is instead the complete opposite with Alfie praising the tournament. I love this guy

[@wiretheswede]

Lul I’m too tired of the take of ”waaah waaaah international break bad waaah” I swear it’s only English fans who complain about it because their NT always gets placed with fucking San Marino and Gibraltar and shit and win every game 6-0. Suffering from success. To me those are like the highlights of the football season

[@Wallacenawa]

My thoughts too.....😂😂

[@fairphoneuser9009]

@@wiretheswede It's not only English fans. It's a modern worldwide phenomenon, I guess.

[@soundscape26]

@@wiretheswede International breaks are usually disliked in other countries too. So many National Teams are now qualified for the final stage of the competitions that the qualifying rounds have become boring and redundant.

[@nealrigga6969]

@@fairphoneuser9009mostly is English fans though, with a touch of Italians, French and Spanish as well. Only because most of their best players are all African and they lose them to the AFCON so they’re salty about it

[@PslDiskiMedia]

Watching all the way from South Africa Alfie. Enjoying your content as usual.

[@PSLKasiFlava]

Me too. African is the building. shout out Africans

[@midassighassen1957]

As a tunisian cant wait to face you guys ,i think it will be a great match

[@PslDiskiMedia]

@@midassighassen1957 It's going to be a great game indeed

[@casteri]

AFCON is probably the most entertaining international tournament outside of the World Cup. It's 100% vibes 100% of the time

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

Watching on tv I’ve always thought the atmosphere in African matches looks the best

[@reinrassigerStuhl]

Imo the Euros are more entertaining then AFCON due to the amount of good teams paired with good atmosphere but that's preference I guess. AFCON is great though, maybe not on the same level football wise but nothing to sneeze at. And you're absolutely right, it is a great vibe, the fans in Africa are something else. It would be so great, if European leagues took a break, so more people would tune in and not only see it as a disturbance "stealing away" players of their favorite club.

[@PortiaManti]

​@@reinrassigerStuhlno one thinks thats other then the one with colonial mind like you. The Euro is dull bro not even close to Concaf or Afcon. Nobody cares that Liverpool lost salah we watch PL but we are not ignorant like you. We also watch our league and other leagues. We don't see PL as important as you think we do. Afcon is better whether you like it or not. A better spectacles an actual festival of football unlike the last Euro were England coasted through. Start watching without the stereotypical blinkers but I doubt it.

[@BrianStorm742]

Great video, Alfie! I love AFCON as a Dutchie, even more so since I've visited some African countries. Small correction, though: 'Lesotho' is actually pronounced 'Le-zoo-too'. I learned that the hard way lol.

[@KIDGUCCI707]

Actually “Le-soo-too” as in Ronaldo “Suiii”

[@BrianStorm742]

@@KIDGUCCI707 yeah, I can see that. The guy who told me had a very z-heavy accent lol

[@PortiaManti]

No that not how you do it .. Lee sour tour is closer to it. Then zoo 😂

[@Kafei01]

We should do a big international break in January to help african nations to do their cup. While they do their continental cup, we in Europe could do some euro/world cup qualifying match, some nations league match, or whatever. I never understood why we never did it.

[@frog4348]

They could easily just move one of the international windows from the end of the year to the start of the next year during afcon

[@Vahapetautus]

I think because there are 4-5 competitions for top teams in the league, these should be stripped back to 3/4 and premier league teams should enter nationwide tournaments first, in order to reduce the pool of top talent quickly, this would mean the best teams would thin out and give lower league teams a better chance of glory.

[@M1ggins]

part of the problem is it's every 2 years compared to every 4

[@lg-0297]

@@M1gginswith the amount of talent in Africa now, it should be every 4. Gives teams better time to prepare for each one, making for a better quality game. And it’ll boost the prestige of the tournament.

[@jkif98]

Have thought this for a while - have an international break in January and one in the summer. Arguably benefits International managers who get to work with their teams a month at a time 2 times a year rather than just a week here or there. Would also lead to fewer complaints from club fans about international breaks every few weeks. Whilst footballers are unlikely to be in economy class seats on planes - less travel overall should help physically. Might even raise the status of the FA Cup 3rd round in England if that was the final game for top divisions before international break.

[@simplesimonhadapie]

I have been talking about the afcon and defending it since the 2000's watching it on eurosport when the quality of everything was far lower than now and to see it grow has been an amazing journey. The mockery and sheer vulgarity of demands of players not to represent their countries pains me everytime its an honour to represent your country and should always be respected

[@atmeventsandmgt]

really baffling for a player to despise a call up to represent their country.... i just dont understand it at all....

[@ivaneurope]

Well, in basketball for example the top players from the National Basketball Assiciation view with disdain FIBA international tournaments with the exception of the Olympic tournament. Which I see it as disrespectful from players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant or even Nikola Jokic who would love represent their country only once every 4 years when the Olympic Games occur. Ice Hockey is a bit different since the IIHF Championships are right when the Stanley Cup playoffs in the National Hockey League are happening and the last 2 Olympic tournaments featured 0 NHL players. But then again the NHL paused the regular season in order for the players to join their Olympic teams when NHL players were allowed (in fact the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament is the closest thing to the situation with AFCON and the AFC Nations Cup).

[@mike.n.n.7723]

​​@@atmeventsandmgtIn some aspects I understand them given how corrupt many FAs in Africa are, and some players may think representing their country is just not worth the hassle. There are so many stories of the more prominent/rich athletes (not just footballers) having to cover the expenses of their teammates because the politicians embezzled the money, or athletes having to crowdfund for accommodation and competition fees (meanwhile the organising committee made up of politicians carry their whole families as "delegates" around the world and stay in 5 star hotels) As a Kenyan I've seen how much our ministry of sports mistreats our athletes so when one of them chooses to represent another country, or just straight up refuses to represent the country I don't even get mad. We used to have one of the best and most exciting 7s Rugby teams in the world a few years back but the ministry of sports kept bungling sponsorships and delayed the payments to players that many just quit and no one wanted to get into rugby anymore

[@leeofdoom4452]

You have to say tho, things have improved. African players are far more likely to represent their countries than 20 years ago, when a player would need to be incredibly string to do so. I remember there were maybe 1 or 2 star names in each squad, that world cup Senegal team really did pave the way for the tourny, and now there are star studded squads!

[@shawklan27]

Preach they'll rather play for the countries that will provide them with the most financial benefits rather than the place they were born. It's so fucking frustrating to watch especially as a Nigerian who's seen so many talented dudes who could've represent the country go and represent some European country or whatever 😒

[@F1Krazy]

24:54 Just to reinforce your point here: from the 2019 edition onwards, CAF actually did try to move AFCON from January to June/July, specifically - at least in part - to avoid clashing with the European season. For both the 2021 and 2023 editions, however, they had to reschedule it back to January for exactly the reason you describe: it would have been way too hot in June to actually host them then.

[@Chartomy]

I’ve been watching this channel without subscribing. Thank you for covering the AFCON so well with no bias. I’m finally subscribing ✨🙌🏽

[@georgepasley4891]

Really enjoyed this video. Also, I'm glad that I'm finally able to easily watch AFCON here in the US. I've also been watching the Asian Cup. You're right, it's a great competition and hopefully European club schedules will start adding breaks for AFCON and Asian Cup.

[@DrtyALGreen]

No Ghana in the list at 2:45? They are definitely one of Africa's best teams in WC history and always punch above their weight. They do the light=mental dark=physical in every sport here in America. It's not as prevalent but definitely still happens.

[@JuliusOmorogbe-d1z]

I felt so much joy watching this as an African. Thanks Alfie

[@almasolido374]

What segment. This was very thought provoking and profound. Shining the light on the stigma Africa forever faces in football and society at large was needed. Kudos to you (no pun intended)

[@antonioazevedo2363]

Back in school, we used to watch this competition in winter when Eurosport broadcasted the afcon in the beginning and middle of 00's. We used to pick a nation and support as if it was our team. Sometimes we watch players from lower leagues from my country (2nd, 3rd, local leagues) playing in this competition, in a time where there wasn't tv broadcast for lower leagues and few of us had internet. All i have, and many from my generation have, is a soft spot for this competition.

[@fin-ed6oj]

I get the VVD point, but it only stands for the Premier League. If De Ligt makes a blunder in the Bundesliga or Tomori in Serie A, people will generally bash those leagues for being subpar 'farmers leagues'. So, AFCON aren't the only ones who get bashed for personal mistakes. It's more like the competition being scrutinised is the rule, and in the PL the player gets scrutinised which is the exception

[@hiranom20]

Sure. But HITC Sevens went out of their way with real-life examples illustrating why the derision AFCON gets is different.

[@insertname950]

I mean I get what you're saying but from my experienece british and real madrid fans are the only ones being this ignorant, regarding other european leauges at least 😂

[@JuanJolan1]

Ive never seen anyone refer to the Bundesliga or Serie A as 'farmers league'. Like, maybe the Dutch or Portuguese, but not the German or Italian leagues

[@hydrolifetech7911]

No one bashes Bundesliga or Serie A. Even those leagues made jokes about as farmers league are because of their uncompetitive nature. AFCON is very competitive. The derision of AFCON is just lazy, unfounded stereotyping or in some cases straight up racism. You are trivialising a serious issue this video essay is covering

[@depekthegreat359]

African Cup Of Nations is one of my favourite ever tournaments of all time with all of the respective nations competing in it and its a fun tournament to watch despite some of the unwanted controversies which the African FA must rectify and solve positively,good friends!!!:-D

[@ElkjaerTV]

Being that football here in Denmark is on mid season break in January and February due to it being too cold and the fields can handle it. I love the fact we have 2 major tournaments happening right now with AFCON and Asian Cup. I also much prefer National Team Football over Club Football, but given how international football is talked about I sometimes feel alone with that statement even though it likely isnt the case.

[@hitthurdeaux]

Agreed. I have no idea when and why this popular hating on international football came about, but it’s stupid.

[@yourdadhasadogfilter2505]

​@@hitthurdeauxI think it's because fans act like customers and therefore want the best product. International football is much slower and the teams have less cohesion, so it's seen as worse

[@godlovesusall8115]

I'm so grateful you took the time to praise our competition. This edition is being the most special for me, because the underdogs are stepping up, every match is so unpredictable, new heroes are being raised! May God bless you.

[@francoischap7108]

AFCON is played in the second largest continent and the second most populated continent... I think as Africans, our take on our own tornament is the only thing we should focus on...

[@hitthurdeaux]

As an African with an insider insight, how does the continent feel about hosting the tournament every 4 years as opposed to every 2?

[@abstraqtphilosophy7357]

​@@hitthurdeauxand why should they host it every 4years? To satisfy the europeans? The Afcon is always a celebration of African football and as Africans, we love to celebrate our football every two years.

[@spunkymaniac9312]

​@@hitthurdeauxwe don't care , we like our afcon the way it is , same way you like your euro

[@UkuleleProductions]

Thanks man! We need more people with a tollerant collourful worldview like you!

[@alexjbyun]

This channel… is so good. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this channel so many times and this puts it firmly on a pedestal for me. Bravo HITC Sevens 🔥🔥🔥

[@Daniel-bd9ir]

I always enjoy watching AFCON in the UK, this year the games are 2pm, 5pm and 8pm. So when i’ve been off work i’ve been watching all 3 games. So far Mozambique, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea all causing some shocks. Always look out for EFL players too

[@blessedjaravani2260]

Thank you for representing Africa and showing what it’s all about it’s not about Politics poverty or Corruption it’s about the beautiful game that doesn’t look at colour of your skin or which club you play for but it’s all about the pride of winning. I and so many of these stars and millions of Africans grew up playing football made from plastics in the streets without shoes because of the love of the game

[@Leahcimmichael]

Thank you so much for making this. I really appreciate that you shed light on the fantastic stories this tournament has produced. Its just disappointing how people will take meme pages as serious journalism.

[@randominterests4637]

I am proud to be Zambian and thank you for the Facts in this, Africa needs to be seen... the vast talents and skills we possess.... it is the only Tournament where the favourites only has a 12% Chance of winning the whole thing.... Massive competition 💪🏾💪🏾

[@Dubliner-un9lw]

How Roberto Lopes, born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Cape Verdean father, came to represent Cape Verde is beyond belief. He got LinkedIn message in Portuguese from the Cape Verde head coach that he dismissed as spam. It was only when it was re sent in English that he realised he was being called up. Now for the second time he is putting the League of Ireland on the map in one of the biggest tournaments in football.

[@PSLKasiFlava]

European don't take us serious as Africans but we can't deny the quality of African players. AFCON is great tournament

[@PslDiskiMedia]

Europeans teams are going to struggle without our players. RESPECT AFCON.

[@bradnodes]

​@@PslDiskiMedia I think Europeans do take African players seriously. I'm a Tottenham fan and hope Sarr and Bissoma do well. It would be better if the Premier league had a winter break so the afcon could go ahead and not miss out on playing for spurs, but Postecogleu the spurs manager said something like "they want to represent their countries and we're proud that they're playing in the tournament and I agree. It's only 4-6 weeks every couple of years and they are important players the rest of the time so good luck to them

[@BladimirButin]

Take yourself serious. The fact that you made this comment means that you don’t take yourself serious as an African and only think about how Europeans view you. This is the problem with Africans the fact that you even made this comment a proud person don’t make comments like this

[@AITCHTL]

It always annoys me how those in other parts of the world see our tournaments as hurdles and hindrances to their competitions. AFCON is genuinely one of the most exciting festivals of football and its always a time of the year we here in Africa look forward to. There's no competition that comes with as much unpredictably as AFCON does and that's in every respect. Weather, pitch state, referees, minnows upsetting established powers....These are what make AFCON so unique and entertaining. 95% of the people berating the tournament have never even watched a match. Give it a chance.... It wont disappoint. Lets go BAFANA BAFANA

[@tshepokotelo3162]

The thing is that AFCON's viewership numbers in England are very low. This is why it's not seen as a major tournament in England. I don't watch AFCON at all, instead I prefer Copa America. I wish AFCON was at the end of the premier league season because honestly it's not a major tournament like other continental tournaments

[@Chez114]

Banana Bafana is shit. They haven't been great since '96. The PSL is atrocious which bleeds into the national side's quality. If football was run in SA the way rugby is, it'd be so much better because South Africa has real talent but its ruined by identity politics just like the nations national cricket squad

[@robertjonsson797]

I watched a few of the games in this Afcon already and have done so before and i agree its a competition worth noting and looking at for sure. Well done to point out the qualities of the tournament and its glory as it should be considered.

[@Theneckofthrogs]

Thanks for giving The Gambia a shout out mate! I went there two years ago during the 2021 AFCON to sponsor a team and watch the competition with the locals! They treated me so nice and we had such an incredible time. I have a video posted about it on my page, Bajana Always Ready. African people don't have much but that's what makes them so happy. All they have to celebrate is life. If you give them something materialistic, they will appreciate it more than your next door neighbor, because when you have nothing in life, you are grateful for everything!

[@theexplorer2086]

If I may make a slight correction, when it comes to the weather, Africa experiences a unique climate due to its vast landmass. In the northern regions, during the European summer, it becomes significantly hotter due to its proximity to the Sahara Desert. However, in much of the western, eastern, and central regions, the monsoon season prevails, making it nearly impossible to play football as heavy rains persist for approximately four months, spanning from June to September. Therefore, all these factors must be taken into consideration when hosting the AFCON. It's important to note that we won't limit hosting privileges to countries with weather similar to Europe's, as every African nation aspires to host this prestigious competition.

[@michaelklaassen6961]

The only thing I don’t like about the AFCON is that it’s every 2yrs & it severally effect clubs that have more African players….yes I know the Asian Cup is being played at the same time this year. But that’s every 4yrs

[@wesleymcglone6937]

Imagine when/if an African team wins the World Cup. It's gonna be nuts in that Country. Wonder if it'll happen in my lifetime.

[@spunkymaniac9312]

It will be nut in the whole continent

[@p4ck1t0]

What a great rant! Thank you! This is a video that a lot of people should watch (even if it hurts their ego - I'm looking at you, western pundits and media!) I've always regarded the CAN (or AFCON) to be an inspiration to young African kids and currently try to teach my kids about the many positive aspects of it. Enough with the stereotypes and negativity always surrounding the competition and us, African, in general. Great video!

[@skojuzija]

I like that AFCON is very unpredictable and everyone can suprise which is also interesting when you consider the fact that around 10 different countries from Africa usually qualify for World cup but countries that never qualified for World cup won AFCON

[@dcapitan7]

This is another excellent video! AFCON is usually a good tournament. It's unpredictable, so much so that the best way to enjoy it is just to watch it. The supposed "minnows" that qualify for AFCON tends to be better than people believe. This leads to some massive upsets. To me, it's the third most interesting confederation tournament after the Euros and Copa.

[@Casian291]

People were saying that they hope egypt losses early so that they can have salah back to liverpool so that should put into perspective how little respect some people have for the AFCON

[@Chez114]

This means nothing. If a Brazilian was away on international duty, an English fan would want their player back too

[@Casian291]

@@Chez114 yeah but it dosen't need to be that way

[@apropercuppa8612]

@@Casian291 But it does. Club football > International football. Also, didn't Saleh destroy his hamstring? Lol.

[@Casian291]

@@apropercuppa8612 for many people is interantional football> club football

[@thatoneguywholovesthena-4529]

@@apropercuppa8612 so the EPL is better and more prestigeous than the europa league and the world cup?....can we check the viewership records to confirm?😐

[@MrAlexgaara]

The only thing I don't understand about AFCON is why is it being held every other year. I think that having continental competitions every 4 years should become the standard.

[@SilliusSodus]

Video Suggestion: Seven most successful position changes of all time. So something like Bale going from LB to eventually RW. Cannot include position changes made in youth academy because many players shift positions early in their careers.

[@bomoose]

kimmich from rb to cdm

[@SilliusSodus]

@@bomoose that’s a good one tbf

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

@@bomooselahm from rb to cdm he did it first and did it better

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

Alana from cm to lb even though he still occasionally plays cm for Austria

[@drunkenhobo8020]

Paul Hegarty at Dundee United. Signed as a striker but was moved to centre-back. Went on to captain Dundee United to their first major trophy, first league title and play in a UEFA Cup Final. Got a few Scotland caps too.

[@DoubleA88]

Alfie can we have a follow up to this video reflecting back on AFCON? I think it would only strengthen the points you made in this video

[@marcusnguginganga2829]

Awesome video. I'm glad to see more people talk positively about the tournament because it's always fascinating to watch the AFCON. The only negative (for me) as a Kenyan is that every time AFCON comes around, I'm reminded that East Africa is the worst part of the continent football wise. Hopefully Tanzania will perform well.

[@ReaganKukundakwe]

😂😂😂 Tanzania has been knocked out in the group stage

[@idkjustchangingmyname7343]

As a clueless American this is my favorite Alfie video yet

[@ismailovic3416]

I'm algerian and I expected Alfie to dive in the controversies of Afcon, great to see I was wrong lol

[@phle7644]

Great video, I am actually watching it in Yamassoukrou whilst attending my first AFCON live, after following the competition since around the 2012 edition. It's been great so far, we watched NIG-EQG, EGY-MZQ and GHA-CVD yesterday and SEN-GAM and CAM-GUI today (missed the opening game due to work and flight schedules). Atmosphere is awesome, people are very friendly and the organisation is functioning well (although food & drinks provision in the stadiums could be better). Best matches so far were the Egypt Mozambique one, since the stadium progressively started supporting the underdogs more and more and in the end the whole stadium was just chanting Mozambique! Mozambique! (Aside from the Egyptians o.c.) and the Guinea Cameroon today. The Guinean fans were on fire 🔥 Ivory Coast is also a pretty good country to start exploring sub-saharan Africa, since it is somewhat easy to explore and safe (although speaking at least basic French helps a lot).

[@lwandomadikizela2213]

Many western viewers and UEFA looks down at AFCON because we Africans host our tournament in January instead of June. The main reason is the humidity and heat in Africa is far more brutal in June than in January. If Allison screws up, then he gets mocked and ridiculed for it. However, if Ofori(Ghanaian keeper plays his club football with Orlando Pirates in South Africa) screws up, then the entire keepers in Africa that plays in Africa gets mocked and ridiculed because of one keeper's howler. The ref that ended the game early twice suffered heat stroke that he became confused and disoriented and yet the west claims it's corruption. I watch AFCON because I'm African and I'm proud of our football. Hell, I'm also watching because my country South Africa are in it for the first time in years. I don't expect us to win it like we did in 1996 but I do expect a good running for once. AFCON is here to stay and we won't deviate from hosting the tournament in January because of the brutal climate in Africa.

[@PaxBisonica89]

Utter nonesnse

[@komodododo7961]

It's being held in January because that's the summertime in most regions in Africa except for the south

[@Kafei01]

@@komodododo7961 2010 world cup in south africa was in the summer. 2030 world cup partially in Morocco will be in the summer.

[@murmor6890]

Would be a lot less impactful on club football if it was only every 4 years though, in the end that also forces clubs to watch the number of African players in the squad which isn't beneficial either.

[@emmanuel8538]

​@@komodododo7961 No, it's the opposite. Kenya is on the equator, and more than half of the countries in Africa are either at Kenya's level, or further north than it, making them on the Northen Hemisphere, so they have their summer when European countries do. Tldr: The original comment is right

[@manuelbejarano6121]

As a South American, I find African Cup futbol very entertaining, exciting and powerful. Love the teams, even the small ones!!! Thank you for such good videos!!!

[@OwenSithole]

Watching from South Africa.🇿🇦 🙏🏽

Thanks for the shoutout, Alfie! Really enjoyed this video. Great and important work, as always. Thank you.

[@Outpost-13-Hockey]

I work at sea and I'm bummed I'm missing this edition. I've always enjoyed the AFCON, the atmosphere that surrounds it and always hated the discourse surrounding it in European media.

[@jotarokujoh8047]

Thank you for doing this video! Very important and necessary to shed a light on the false conceptions that people still hold over Africa.

[@MrYinzone]

every Bundesliga goal ever gets discredited with "Bundesliga defending" by Prem fans, so thats not exclusive to Africa or Woman

[@robokugel3383]

at least that's not a racist or sexist stereotype

[@DieterHoffman-t9l]

@@robokugel3383 African nations are not as good at football as European nations. That's not racist - that's 100% factual. Why are you bringing race into it? Women's football isn't as good as mens football. That is not sexist - that's 100% factual. Why are you bringing sexism into it?

[@robokugel3383]

i don't know wtf you're talking about man I didn't say nothing about quality of football@@DieterHoffman-t9l

[@emadkhan9659]

This is such a beautiful video Alfie ❤ really loved your narrative and ill be the first to admit ive fed the same bearish narrative about afcon. Ill be watching tournament now 😊

[@CookieGal-]

11 minutes in couldn't have made me happier. I said out loud, "that's the same as women's football", and was then immediately met with you saying the same. Great video as always Alfie

[@SteviePeters-x3u]

that’s because he’s a shitlib

[@funkstiu]

Alfie as always dishing out the football news that should be on the actual news!

[@BOBINKINGA]

Much love from South Africa 🇿🇦 ❤️

[@yazdejesus]

Thank you Alfie, for the introductory monologue. And for the video in general.

[@apkosmic]

Great vide alfie....one of the very few channels that regularly challenges and deconstructs racist tropes and stereotypes in football...and does it in an entertaining way too

[@specnyne1563]

Afcon is not played in West Africa during those months because of the rainy season. Pitches would not survive. From Guinea all the way to Angola, DRC, CAR. That whole belt of Africa its pouring.

[@armoredchimp]

I only watched 2 AFCON tournaments but I picked two of the best ever I'm pretty sure. I watched Zambia's crazy cinderella story a decade ago, and another that I don't remember the details of fully but it ended in an absolutely bonkers penalty shootout, like 20+

[@sloopjohnbable]

i wish i could like this twice. great work

[@lemigod4475]

Thank you Alfie for killing 2 birds with one stone on this great video.First you explained the importance and richness of AFCON tournament and how its always an open tournament with so many upsets and hidden gems emerging. Secondly you also landed an uppercut to the Reactionaries who always like to bash AFCON coz of their biases based on race an colonial hangover.Speaking of which Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp now has a track record of making disparaging remarks about AFCON each time the tournament is about to start.He is stuck in his ways,but the show will go on. I think by now you must have washed highlights of the Opening ceremony,it was such a beautiful event,very well organized and performers conducted themselves with such class,elegance and dignity. I predict that one day Hollywood or Nollywood will make a movie about the 1994 Zambian team that captured the hearts of an entire continent by punching way above their weight with a makeshift team after their entire team had died in a plane crash. That is such a powerful story that only a great movie can do it justice.

[@eddyjolo]

Watching extended highlights for all matches for the first time this year and I have loved it so far!

[@bijikedelai]

Speaking of stereotypes about African players, there's an interesting phenomenon that occurred in my country (Indonesia) football league years ago. Like most football leagues, foreign players were a crucial element that added excitement to the game, with many of the better-performing ones hailing from African countries. This created demand from local clubs to recruit African players to their teams, leading to substantial financial investments. Consequently, numerous African players from poorer countries saw the opportunity, resulting in a significant influx. However, this create new problem, as a considerable number of these players lacked experience and had questionable qualities. Many arrived hoping for lucrative contracts but struggled to secure positions due to their limited skills. Thankfully, the government intervened and implemented proper regulations. While our football scene is still far from ideal, let alone perfect, these days, at least this particular problem is somewhat manageable.

[@68Boca]

I'm sure you have seen Alfie's video on the most dangerous league in the world? Yep, it's Indonesia. I don't think any foreign player, no matter where they are from would expect a comfortable existence there. No matter how much they were paid. The amount of African players in Indonesia, is not the problem. It's the violent culture surrounding football. It makes England in the 1980's look like the Under 9's Sunday morning league.

[@bijikedelai]

@@68Boca oh yeah i am aware of my own country football league problems. I have watched that video and i think i left a comment there as well. My original comment here just to highlight one of the phenomena that was happening in my country league because you know, it's on the topic of African players

[@bijikedelai]

@@68Boca lemme also adds one more thing, while its true the violence and corruption is a reoccurring thing. It doesn't mean the foreign players could not find a comfortable life here. In fact most of them living pretty well when they were here. Its complicated things that i cant simplified in one comment and i think even alfie video still not enough to explain it because unless you living here you will not understand.

[@68Boca]

@@bijikedelai My response to this , is again, your inference that African (or any others) were creating a problem. is dismissive, I'm sure there is good money for those players if they are willing to chance the risk. Also the cultural differences.

[@bijikedelai]

@@68Boca oh not at all, i think there's a lost in translation here, what causing the issue is not the africans. But due to massive demands for the africans players and its overloading the market. Forgot to mention that during this time as well there's a big mafia that organize all these, like importing clueless young africans to indonesia and other south east asia countries as a footballer just for money sake. I dont blame them at all. Its a systemic problem after all. These days, goverment regulations are a bit better that at least the one that are playing here are proper footballers and not just random africans like it used to.

[@sympa_is_misanthropic]

Thanks for coming here to spit facts and your mind every video man.

[@lucaslonchampt613]

Day 6 of asking a "What went right for Stade Brestois?" There's not much alarming going on, but it is the best season, at minimum in the last 40 years when they had World Cup Winner José Luis Brown on the team, and it's unusual to see the historically small club doing very well. For the first time in their history, they can dream of European football. Plus hey, you can have a lot of Brest related puns. Also, good luck to Kamory Doumbia and Mali!

[@TheGregcellent]

Not sure if Alfie has been keeping abreast of the situation. Shabba.

[@tilewajohnson4427]

This journalism here deserves my sub. Great work

[@dylansyme9234]

Pretty sure I’ve frequently heard commentators repeatedly praise the creative play and vision of Yaya Touré, Michael Essien, Mo Salah, Drogba..

[@CosmoOfTheKramers]

Exactly, and the same goes for Vieira, Mahrez, Pogba, etc. Sure Vieira was praised for his physicality, but was also well regarded by European media for his technical ability as well. This guy occasionally does end up running away with an ill constructed argument

[@DieterHoffman-t9l]

Fully agree but Alphie is obsessed with victimizing Africans and virtue signaling.

[@DavidJacobo]

alfie quotes a study about stereotypes. about how this is a general problem and yall nitpick and call it virtue signaling. yall are SNOWFLAKES lmao @@DieterHoffman-t9l

[@Calle27]

What an honest, consice, and truthful report. The world need more people like you, that took the time to research the undeniable reality of "unconscious" or conscious racism in world futbol...thank you fornthis report.

[@RedCloudGawdian]

Every time I see Alfie fighting against racism and global anti-blackness, a proud tear rolls down my cheek 😊

[@snakesnoteyes]

I’m so glad I’ve found your channel. Excellent work.

[@chrisomarm]

I’m so mad at myself for not having an interest in African football sooner. Can’t wait to see who lifts the trophy!

[@bigsleeperr]

likewise

[@tomlennox5555]

Bono: "Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you." The lyrics of that song perfectly exemplify the West's perception of African life.

[@lokmansahat6220]

Next, please make a video about Asian Cup. It also like AFCON which some of Asian player leaves their European team to play for their country. Like South Korea and Japan which have many player play in Europe.

[@66meikou]

Very well thought out and interesting video Alfie. I've looked at the options I have to watch football and the only way I can watch the AFCON is to pay for another service. I can't figure out why one of the platforms would just offer it. I'll check the price and take a punt.

[@OfficialFingazMC]

I believed the Zaire free kick thing because it was on Nich Hancock's footballing nightmares...

[@ngwatanda8298]

Damn Alfie as a Cameroonian I must admit you did your homework 🙌 Keep up the good work💪

[@giodhuha6771]

Africa Cup of Nations, AFC Asian Cup, and even Copa America always get disrespected. I'm bummed.

[@De70222]

Nice vid Alfie ❤ greetings from 🇳🇬

[@HungNguyen-qr7bt]

A lot of headlines for AFCON this year actually. So many in fact that people are sleeping on the AFCON equivalent of Asia that's happening concurrently. Personally I think AFCON is a better tournament since the numbers of talents and the sense of festivals are far greater, but saying AFCON get less or unfavorable coverages even from social media is quite a stretch. U can go to a number of football websites like the Athletic to confirm for yourself which tournaments get more headline coverages and just being promoted more generally. A lot of highlights of talented players from AFCON also get more views on social media too.

[@lthecatt9667]

This annoys me so much. It is not even broadcasted where I live, and any news reports on the tournament are usually covered underneath an AFCON headline

[@eeeeewewew]

Another great point well made. Your essay videos are A huge part of my routine at this point. You are a gift to football discourse

[@arsenalboi]

"NoOOooOoOoooOOOOo womens football is mocked and afcon is mocked! When a prem keeper makes the same mistake, he is mocked not the whole league!!" No sh*t sherlock, thats because the mistakes, particularly in womens football, are more prevelant, more major and there are more of them

[@jamesrowland2002]

that stat about terms used to describe light and dark players is insane, its literally a key and peel skit