Style
Photo by Daniel Beloumou Olomo / AFP

AFCON 2021: Ranking the Best Jerseys at the Tournament

Despite skepticism on the fate of Africa’s biggest football competition, the African Cup of Nations returned with great fanfare on Sunday, January 9. All eyes are on host country Cameroon, who started their campaign to win the tournament for the sixth time by beating Burkina Faso.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Super Eagles triumphed over Egypt with a solitary goal from Kelechi Iheanacho. A total of 24 countries are competing in Cameroon, incentivized by a prize money that’s been bumped up $500,000 since the last edition in 2019.

But AFCON isn’t just about cash payouts, dribbles and goals. Once again, it’s time to look at which African country is parading the best kits. Football and fashion are two worlds that have always collided. Over the years kits have been updated or revised to look modern. What makes a good kit? This is a complex question, and interwoven in the answer are simplicity, clever design, style, or just elements of nostalgia. As superficial as this exercise is, its implication is sweetly in the bragging rights.

Keep reading...Show less
Sports
Photo by DANIEL BELOUMOU OLOMO/AFP via Getty Images

AFCON: Egypt Loses Their First Group Stage Match in 17 Years to Nigerian

Nigerian Super Eagles star Kelechi Iheanacho scored the record breaking goal during Tuesday's match.

Nigerian's national soccer team, The Super Eagles, has made waves by being the first team to beat Egypt's 'Pharaohs' in an Africa Cup of Nations group stage match in 17 years. The game, which took place on Tuesday, saw Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho provide a strikingly beautiful first-half goal which went on to claim their 1-0 victory over the North African champions. The Nigerian soccer team now sits at the top of their Group D and has quickly become the fan-favorite to win.

Before today's victory, the Pharaohs were unbeaten in their last 16 group matches since 2004. The 33rd AFCON championship is being held in West African nation Cameroon and marks their 25th appearance - a record in the history of the tournament, including them being seven-time AFCON champions. Group D leaders Nigeria are making their 19th attempt at winning the tournament, and have reached the semi-finals in 14 of their last 16 appearances - three of those being wins.

Nigeria dominated the field undeniably, effortlessly making space for Iheanacho's top corner goal strike. Egypt seemed to struggle to gain their footing, as Nigerian keeper Maduka Okoye was left out of the fun for large periods. Truthfully, Nigeria could've topped the board off even more, if not for misreads and missteps that remind us that we're all human. Egypt's performance was disappointing, as popular captain Mohamed Salah (GQ's best soccer player in the world, apparently) was expected to command the field with this gang of unbeatable Pharaohs - only to have left us with a lukewarm performance from the group favorites. Liverpool's Salah spent most of the game locked down, which is purely a testament to how hungry Nigeria is for the African crown.

But! It's only day two of AFCON and if history has shown us anything - we are in for one long and entertaining ride.


Fans of the sport took to social media to either celebrate their team's victory or laugh through the pain of their team's loss.


get okayafrica in your inbox

news.

popular.