After surviving multiple postponement and cancellation threats, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finally commenced. African football fans had been antsy and western media, and soccer pundits spelt early doom for the competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Player availability restrictions by international clubs also played a hand in the impasse. Still, the competition launched successfully, albeit a bit late.
Since AFCON began, there have been significant improvements compared to previous tournaments. The viewership has increased manifold, and the video assistant referee (VAR) has been impressive so far. Moreover, if the 2019 statistics are anything to go by, the hosting country (Cameroon) should make a financial kill.
But some changes are due, especially with the teams’ tactical and technical execution that keeps the fanfare cheering and on their feet. Referees must also avoid questionable decisions that hinder seamless game flow.
Still, one has to wonder how AFCON has impacted African football. When will African football hit the big-time floodlights? Patience is the short answer to this question. But while you wait, here’s a glimpse at what’s happened so far.
Increased Viewership
Recent trends indicate that African players in foreign leagues have increased—most of the players participating in the competition play for clubs abroad. The tournament hosts 24 teams, with over 400 players participating at the European stage and other parts of the world.
This implies that AFCON is constantly drawing more fans across the globe. Fans will tune in to follow the exploits of African stars like Riyad Mahrez, Mohammed Salah, Naby Keita, Sadio Mane, Franck Kessie, Nicholas Pepe, Thomas Partey, Kelechi Iheneacho, and Vincent Aboubakar, among others.
The AFCON player call-up has always resulted in conflict with European clubs. Scheduling difficulties place AFCON at the start of the year when European clubs have cup and league ambitions to pursue. In the end, it becomes a tussle between club and nation. This limits the player’s ability to give his all for his national team. Similarly, clubs fear the risk of injury to their superstar players.
COVID-19 Tolerance
No one believed that Cameroon and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) could host the tournament amid the pandemic. However, CAF and the hosts showed great boldness in drafting guides and rules as safety precautions in an outbreak.
Competition Debutants
Underdogs Gabon and Comoros are first-timers into the round of 16. Their performances suggest that parity in the African game is attainable, yet their inexperience accounts for the low scores in the preliminaries.
Refereeing Drama
Refereeing is crucial to the match outcome. This year’s AFCON was in the spotlight for some questionable refereeing from Janny Sikazwe. The overzealous Zambian referee blew his final whistle twice before the proverbial 90 minutes elapsed between Tunisia and Mali.
On the other hand, Salima Mukansanga made history the first female official in the competition’s 65-year history.
Fewer Goals
Nothing kills the buzz like low-scoring games. Unfortunately, teams in 2021’s AFCON registered fewer goals, only surpassing the 1988 1.44 shot conversion rate. Analysts have already attributed this too terrible shooting decisions and poor chance conversion.
Players’ busy schedules with their international clubs also limited their time to prepare meticulously for AFCON.
When all is said and done, fans anticipate fun-filled encounters between the giants as the competition draws to the end. What do you think of 2021’s AFCON? Leave a comment below.
