The year 2024 was marked by historic moments and exceptional performances for African Football, according to CAF.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) took stock of the year 2024, in a text dated Wednesday, December 25, marked by historic successes and impressive performances on the continental and world stage.
Ivory Coast started the year on a triumphant note by winning the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), a feat that cemented its place among the great powers of African football. After a difficult start and a change of coach, the Elephants overcame challenges to triumph against Nigeria in the final, a spectacular match which ended 2-1 in front of more than 57,000 spectators in Abidjan. This victory, described as “ CAN of the century ”, saw teams like Cape Verde, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea stand out with remarkable performances.
At the same time, the CAN 2025 qualifiers were a source of emotion, with surprise qualifications and unexpected twists and turns, notably Botswana’s historic draw against Egypt. These qualifiers saw 24 teams validate their ticket to the tournament to be held in Morocco, with teams like Senegal, Nigeria and Egypt securing their place among the big guys.
The CAF club competitions were also marked by great performances, with Al Ahly winning a record 12th CAF Champions League title, while Zamalek triumphed in the Confederation Cup and Super Cup. CAF Cup, even beating its rival in the final. On the women’s side, TP Mazembe won their first CAF Women’s Champions League title, marking a turning point for women’s football in Africa.
CAF also highlighted the youth and futsal competitions, with Tanzania and South Africa triumphing at the African Schools Football Championship, and Morocco winning the futsal CAN for the third time consecutive. Senegal, for its part, retained its beach soccer title.
The year 2024 also saw a strong representation of African teams on the world stage, with historic performances at the Paris Olympics, including Morocco’s bronze medal in men’s football. In addition, the world junior competitions saw African teams shine, with remarkable results for Cameroonian Naomi Eto and Zambian Barbra Banda.
Finally, the CAF Awards 2024 recognized the best African talents, with Ademola Lookman voted Player of the Year and Barbra Banda best player, while Emerse Fae was named best coach after leading Ivory Coast to victory in the CAN.
With CAN 2025 in Morocco and CHAN 2024 to come, the year 2024 marks an important milestone in the rise of African football on the world stage.
AC/SF/APA
