Senegal have been crowned football champions after winning their second African Cup Of Nations (AFCON). The drama filled final included a team walk off, a missed last minute penalty and an extra-time winner. The pre-tournament favourites were denied their second title in a month, having won the FIFA Arab Cup in December. (1)
It was a thrilling climax to a tournament that had been described as “predictable.” (2) Indeed, arguably one of the memorable parts of the competition even did not even occur on the football pitch. DR Congo superfan Kuka Muladinga became a viral sensation dressed like his country’s first prime minister Patrice Lumumba adopting his famous statue pose, remaining still for the entire games. (3) It’s a gesture that not brought cheer to other Afrikan teams but to Muladinga’s Afrikans the world over. Even one hundred years after his birth, Lumumba remains one of the most beloved figures in Afrikan Muladinga’s politics. Omowale Malcolm X called him “The greatest black man ever to walk the continent of Africa.” His brutal murder on January 17th 1961 has been termed “the most important assassination of the 20th century.” (4)
Yet Muladinga’s presence also exposed the faultline underpinning the entire tournament – the Afrikan/Arab dynamic. Although a Pan-Afrikan hero, Patrice Lumumba is clearly not similarly regarded in the Arab world, even those situated on the Afrikan continent. (5) Algerian player Mohamed Amine Amoura invoked widespread criticism for his goal celebration mocking Muladinga’s Lumumba tribute after scoring against DR Congo. He was forced to apologise saying he was unaware of the historical and cultural significance behind the gesture he ridiculed. (6) Algeria’s football federation also issued an apology. (7)
The reality is that, even though situated on the continent, people like Amoura see themselves more Arab than Afrikan. There are several northern and eastern countries that recently completed in the FIFA Arab Cup, just as these nations have a foot in both the African Union and the League of Arab States. (8)
So when footage energed of Algerian fans singing about “Black slaves” prior to games against DR Congo and Nigeria it has to be placed in a historical context. The context is that seventy years of continentalism, “the doctrine and project of uniting the entire continent of Africa, uniting all the races that now live on it, black and white, Negro and Arab, preferably under one government that will rule the entire continent,” has reaped few benefits for Afrikans. (9)
It certainly consigns Afrikans to compete alongside contemptible foes by dint of geography while these same people caucus along cultural lines externally. In this way they also align with their European cousins who have long since disparaged AFCON as an inconvenience because it takes place in mid-season, even though its origin predates its European counterpart. Players have been subtly encouraged to priortise club over country. These kinds of tactics are what led Ian Wright football pundit and former Arsenal Striker to muse: “Is there ever a tournament more disrespected than the Africa Cup of Nations?” (10)
Some have suggested that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have capitulated. They previously resolved to hold AFCON in June and July but COVID 19 and weather conditions in host nations prevented this. Now they have changed it from from running every two to every four years, aligning with the Euros. (11)
Fifty years ago football legend Pele predicted that an Afrikan nation would win the World Cup by the year 2000. A quarter of a century past that date only Morocco, nominally from the continent, has even reached the semi-finals. We will have to see if CAF’s recent moved will encourage this prospect or if the time has come to withdraw and establish a non-colonialist structure, as suggested by the likes of Pan-Afrikan scholar Chinweizu. (12)
(1) Will Castle (18/01/26) Senegal vs Morocco live: Senegal win chaotic Afcon final after Diaz ‘Panenka’ miss and walk-off protest. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/senegal-morocco-live-stream-updates-afcon-final-b2902827.html; Betül Yılmaz (19/12/25) Morocco celebrates FIFA Arab Cup after hard-fought victory over Jordan. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/morocco-celebrates-fifa-arab-cup-after-hard-fought-victory-over-jordan/3775254
(2) Jonathan Wilson (17/01/26) Only a thrilling final can save a predictable Africa Cup of Nations from being forgotten. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/17/only-a-thrilling-final-can-save-a-predictable-africa-cup-of-nations-from-being-forgotten
(3) Martin Moses (01/01/26) AFCON 2025: DR Congo fan emulates Patrice Lumumba, stands still for entire game. https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/kenya/afcon-2025-dr-congo-fan-emulates-patrice-lumumba-stands-still-for-entire-game/ar-AA1ToaSD?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1
(4) Gerry Chidiac (10/02/22) Patrice Lumumba left a legacy we can’t ignore. https://troymedia.com/lifestyle/patrice-lumumba-left-a-legacy-we-cant-ignore/; Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja (17/01/11) Patrice Lumumba: the most important assassination of the 20th century. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jan/17/patrice-lumumba-50th-anniversary-assassination
(5) Olamide Abe (11/01/26) AFCON 2025: Adams pays tribute to Lumumba amid Algeria controversy. https://punchng.com/adams-pays-tribute-to-lumumba-amid-algeria-controversy/
(6) TRT Afrika (09/01/26) AFCON 2025: Algeria’s Amoura apologises for mocking DRC’s Lumumba look-alike. https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/1fd25fd4536c
(7) Lucy Fleming (08/01/26) Algeria apologises after player mocks Congolese superfan dressed as pan-African hero. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0nqqgy77ro
(8) Mark W. Deets (27/07/19) Arabs and Africans. https://africasacountry.com/2019/07/sport-history-and-politics-at-the-african-cup-of-nations; The Diplomatic Service of the European Union (03/08/21) League of Arab States (LAS) and the EU. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/league-arab-states-las-and-eu_en. Members of LAS include: Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia
(9) The Subi Shop (14/01/66) This African Genius Just Proved Colonialism Is Still Alive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy4_i1tVLw4&t=552s; Chinweizu (16/07/07) Garveyism,Not Continentalism Is What Black Africa Needs!! https://yeyeolade.wordpress.com/2007/07/22/garveyism-in-the-21st-century/
(10) James Yékú (22/01/22) A Culture of Disdain: Europe and the Africa Cup of Nations. https://jamesyeku.com/2022/01/10/a-culture-of-disdain-europe-and-the-african-cup-of-nations/
(11) Rob Stevens (20/12/25) Afcon to be held every four years from 2028. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgjnx6x4281o
(12) Rodney Hinds (05/01/23) “Pelé was a unique inspiration to the African continent” – Africa’s football chief. https://www.voice-online.co.uk/sport/football/2023/01/05/african-football-chief-pays-homage-to-pele-as-tributes-continue-to-come-in-for-iconic-footballer/; Chinweizu (1987) The Olympic Games and The Black World in Decolonising the African Mind, Pero Press. p. 201-202.
What is the future of AFCON?
1) Is AFCON the most “disrespected” football tournament?
2) Will the continentalist agenda forever plague AFCON?
3) Is CAF capitulating to European football?
4) Is it time for a truly Pan-Afrikan tournament?
Our Special Guest:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Bro. Eneka Quamina: is activist, organiser and journalist. He is the founder of Neeks Sports, an online platform covering all sports stories and opinions, and more importantly, getting the reaction from the fans and public in general. Bro. Eneka is the sports director of the Pan-Afrikan Sports and Culture and was formerly the sports editor of The Whirlwind newspaper.
Bro. Kamjiverse: hosts a collaborative research platform focused on Afrikana studies and Afrikology, uniting scholars and community leaders from around the world to explore multidisciplinary topics—including geopolitics, archaeology, linguistics, economics, finance, and social relations. His mission is to advance academic inquiry and foster engaging dialogue about African history, culture, spirituality, and the global Black experience.
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