This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-CAF
The Confederation of African Football (“CAF”) has concluded an extraordinary year of football in 2024, with major milestones across men’s, women’s, youth and club football.
From Ivory Coast’s historic AFCON victory to landmark performances in CAF competitions, here’s a comprehensive look at the year in African football.
Ivory Coast triumphs at CAN 2023
The year kicked off with the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, where the host countries surprised the continent by winning their third AFCON title. Despite a difficult start to the tournament, a change of manager mid-tournament reinvigorated the Elephants. Emerse Fae’s side beat Nigeria 2-1 in a dramatic final in Abidjan, in front of more than 57,000 fans. The tournament, nicknamed the “AFCON of the century”, saw emerging teams such as Cape Verde, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea achieve impressive performances.
The CAN 2025 qualifiers promise thrills
The qualifying campaign for the TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations 2025 (CAN) was full of twists and turns. Twenty-four nations have won their place for the tournament which will be organized by Morocco. Powerhouses like Nigeria, Senegal and Egypt punched their tickets, while Botswana, Zimbabwe and Comoros made thrilling returns to the continental stage. The qualifiers were marked by thrilling stories, including Botswana’s unexpected draw against Egypt to qualify and Zimbabwe’s revival after missing out on recent editions.
Diaz was the top scorer in the CAN 2025 qualifiers
World Cup Qualifying: The Excitement
African teams have had a good start to the season in the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers with Ivory Coast at the top of the scorers’ table, Sudan and Tunisia at the top of their respective groups. Ghana’s Jordan Ayew shone with a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-3 win over the Central African Republic, while Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet kept Egypt’s hopes alive with outstanding performances. These early stages underline Africa’s growing ambitions on the global stage.
Al Ahly and Zamalek shine in CAF club competitions
Al Ahly reaffirmed their dominance in African club football, winning their 12th CAF Champions League title, with a 1-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis. The Egyptians also remained undefeated throughout the campaign, emphasizing their supremacy. Meanwhile, their Egyptian rivals Zamalek won the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup in spectacular fashion, overcoming a first-leg deficit against RS Berkane to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory. Zamalek then beat Al Ahly in the CAF Super Cup on penalties, sealing an exceptional year for the club.
TP Mazembe crowned queen of Africa
In women’s football, TP Mazembe of DR Congo won their first title in the CAF Women’s Champions League by winning 1-0 against the Moroccans of AS FAR in the final. A first-half penalty from Marlene Kasaj proved decisive as Mazembe showed resilience against the former champions. This triumph crowns a remarkable journey for the Congolese team after its elimination in the group stage in 2022.
Growth of women’s football
The draw of TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) revealed a highly competitive tournament scheduled for 2025. Host nation Morocco find themselves in a tough group alongside Zambia, Senegal and DR Congo, while reigning champions South Africa will face Ghana, Mali and Tanzania. Nigeria, which aims to regain its dominance, will face Botswana, Tunisia and Algeria.
Final qualifications for TotalEnergies CHAN 2024
The final phase of the playoffs TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 was marked by intense rivalries, including the highly anticipated “Jollof Derby” between Ghana and Nigeria. The tournament, which will take place in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in January, promises to showcase African football talent.
Youth football: Tanzania and South Africa celebrate
THE CAF African School Football Championship highlighted the continent’s rising stars. Tanzania won the men’s competition on home soil, while South Africa clinched the women’s title after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Morocco. This championship highlighted CAF’s commitment to encouraging local talent.
Success of futsal and beach soccer
Morocco won his third consecutive title at the CAF Futsal CAN by winning 5-1 against Angola. In terms of beach soccer, Senegal retained his title champion of the CAF beach soccer CAN beating Mauritania 6-1 in the final. Both teams will represent Africa at the upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025.
Africa on the world stage Morocco at the Olympics In 2024, African teams and athletes showcased their talents on the world stage, achieving important milestones in various global competitions. To Paris Olympics the Moroccan men’s football team won a bronze medal history by beating Egypt 6-0 in the third place match. The result marked Africa’s first Olympic football medal since Cameroon’s triumph in 2000, with Soufiane Rahimi becoming the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals. In women’s football, despite the early eliminations of Nigeria and Zambia, Zambian Barbra Banda etched her name in the history books with a superb hat-trick against Australia, becoming the first player to score three hat-tricks in the Olympic history.
During the FIFA Youth World Cups, African teams demonstrated their full potential. Nigeria’s under-17 women’s team reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, led by 16-year-old sensation Shakirat Moshood. Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Naomi Eto shone at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, scoring four goals in four matches. Kenya’s under-17 women’s team reached a historic milestone by securing their first ever victory in a FIFA tournament, beating Mexico 2-1.
The representation of Africa at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai and FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan faced obstacles, with Senegal, Egypt, Angola and Libya failing to advance beyond the group stage.
Despite this glitch, this year has demonstrated the potential of African teams to compete and excel on the world stage, reflecting the continent’s rich talent and unwavering determination to leave its mark on world football.
Individual distinctions at the CAF Awards
THE CAF Awards 2024 rewarded the best African talents. The Nigerian Ademola Lookman was elected Men’s Player of the Year while the Zambian Barbra Banda won the Best Women’s Player award. The South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams won two prizes, that of Male Goalkeeper of the Year And Interclub Player of the Year . Emerse Fae was honored with the title Men’s Coach of the Year for leading Ivory Coast to CAN glory.
Morocco and Angola at the top of the ranking
Morocco finished the year at the top of the FIFA rankings, despite a slight drop to 14th place. Angola, however, stole the show with a meteoric rise of 32 places, reflecting its strong performance in 2024.
CAF 2024: a year of excellence
From Ivory Coast’s triumph at the AFCON to Al Ahly’s dominance in club football and the emergence of young talent, 2024 has been a record year for African football.
With the upcoming CAN 2025 in Morocco and CHAN 2024, the stage is set for even bigger moments in African football.
