Articles & guides
107 explainers, country guides and data studies about African football.
Countries
AlgeriaAngolaBeninBotswanaBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadComorosCongoDR CongoDjiboutiEgyptEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauIvory CoastKenyaLesothoLiberiaLibyaMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMauritiusMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaNigerNigeriaRwandaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanSão Tomé and PríncipeTanzaniaTogoTunisiaUgandaZambiaZimbabwe
South Sudan
South Sudan Premier League and National Cup: A GuideHow domestic football works in South Sudan: the new Premier League, the National Cup, recent champions and the clubs to know.South Sudan Youth National Teams: U-15 to U-23The Junior Bright Stars at U-15, U-17, U-20 and U-23 level, their first continental finals and the new youth leagues.Women's Football in South Sudan: The Bright StarletsThe women's national team, the national women's league and the projects growing the girls' game in South Sudan.Juba National Stadium: South Sudan's Home of FootballThe story of Juba National Stadium, its renovation and reopening, and other football venues in South Sudan.Local Football Associations in South SudanHow football is organised below national level in South Sudan, from Juba and Wau to Bor, Rumbek and Yei.
Competitions
The Kagame Cup: CECAFA Club Championship ExplainedEast and Central Africa's club championship: format, history, the most successful clubs and South Sudan's participation.CAF Champions League ExplainedAfrica's top club competition: format, history, the most successful clubs and the route to the Club World Cup.CAF Confederation Cup ExplainedAfrica's second club competition: who qualifies, how it works and how it links with the Champions League.The African Nations Championship (CHAN) ExplainedThe tournament for players based in their home leagues: why it exists, how it works and who has done well.How AFCON Qualification WorksPreliminary rounds, groups of four and the race for places at the Africa Cup of Nations finals.How World Cup Qualifying Works in AfricaNine groups, nine direct places and an intercontinental play-off: Africa's route to the 48-team World Cup.Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON): History and FormatAfrica's women's championship from its 1991 beginnings to the 12-team era, and Nigeria's long dominance.Africa at the Olympic Football TournamentNigeria's 1996 gold, Cameroon's 2000 triumph and Africa's other Olympic football medals.Africa at the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World CupsWhy African nations dominate youth World Cups, from Nigeria's record U-17 titles to Ghana's 2009 U-20 win.
Rules
The Offside Rule Explained SimplyWhen a player is offside, when it is not an offence, and how VAR and semi-automated technology judge tight calls.VAR Explained: How the Video Assistant Referee WorksWhat VAR can review, the "clear and obvious error" test, on-field reviews and how VAR arrived in African football.Penalty Shoot-out Rules ExplainedWho can take a kick, the order, sudden death, goalkeeper rules and other details of the shoot-out.Yellow and Red Cards ExplainedWhich offences earn a caution or a sending-off, the "triple punishment" change and how suspensions work.How Long Is a Football Match?Halves, added time, half-time, extra time and the short-lived golden goal: the clock in football explained.Football Positions ExplainedGoalkeeper, full-back, centre-back, midfield roles and forwards: what each position does on the pitch.Football Formations Explained: 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 and MoreHow the most common formations work, their strengths and weaknesses, and how teams switch between them.Football Glossary: 40 Terms Every Fan Should KnowFrom "aggregate" to "xG": clear definitions of the words used in football commentary and statistics.Away Goals and Tie-breakers ExplainedHow two-legged ties and group standings are decided when teams are level, and why the away goals rule is fading.How the FIFA World Ranking WorksThe "SUM" points formula FIFA has used since 2018, match importance values and what moves a team up or down.
History
African Football History: A TimelineThe key dates from Egypt's first FIFA membership in 1923 to Africa's place in the 48-team World Cup.CAF African Player of the Year: History and RecordsThe continent's top individual award, its record winners and what it takes to win it.The 2010 World Cup in South AfricaAfrica's first World Cup: the hosts, Ghana's run to the quarter-finals, Spain's first title and the legacy.The 2030 World Cup: Morocco's Co-hosting ExplainedHow Morocco, Spain and Portugal will share the centenary World Cup, and what it means for African football.The Biggest Football Clubs in AfricaAl Ahly, Zamalek, TP Mazembe, Espérance and the other giants of African club football.The Greatest Derbies in African FootballCairo, Soweto, Casablanca, Dar es Salaam and more: the club rivalries that stop African cities.African National Team Nicknames ExplainedSuper Eagles, Bafana Bafana, Chipolopolo and more: what the nicknames of African teams mean.Famous Football Academies in AfricaRight to Dream, ASEC Mimosas, Diambars, Génération Foot and the academies that produce Africa's stars.
Careers
How Referees Reach International FootballFrom local courses to the FIFA list: the path an African referee follows to officiate continental and World Cup matches.How to Become a Football Coach: CAF Licences ExplainedThe CAF coaching pathway from grassroots courses to the C, B, A and Pro licences, and what each one lets you do.How to Become a Professional Footballer in AfricaAcademies, local leagues, trials and agents: a realistic guide for young African players and their parents.How to Spot Fake Football Agents and Trial ScamsWarning signs of football trafficking and fake trials, and how to check an agent under FIFA's licensing rules.FIFA Rules on International Transfers of MinorsWhy under-18s generally cannot move clubs across borders, and the narrow exceptions FIFA allows.Transfer Windows and Loans ExplainedHow registration periods work, what a loan is and FIFA's limits on loans between clubs.Solidarity Payments and Training Compensation ExplainedHow African clubs that trained a player earn money when he moves, and how to claim it.
Governance
Who Runs African Football? FIFA, CAF, Zones and AssociationsHow FIFA, the Confederation of African Football, the regional unions and national associations share the running of the game.FIFA and CAF Development Programmes in AfricaFIFA Forward, Football for Schools and CAF's schools championship: how development money and courses reach African football.
Data
How Big Is Home Advantage in African Football?We measured home, away and neutral results in thousands of African internationals since 1957.Goals per Game at the Africa Cup of Nations, Edition by EditionIs AFCON getting more defensive? Goals per match at every Africa Cup of Nations since 1957.Penalty Shoot-outs in African Football: Who Wins Them?Every African national team's shoot-out record, and how often big tournaments are settled from the spot.Which African Countries Produce the Most Footballers?Players per country and per million people: the African nations that punch above their weight.The Most Common Scorelines in African FootballFrom 1-0 to 0-0: how African international matches usually end, compared with the rest of the world.
In-depth guides
FIFA Eligibility Rules: How Footballers Choose (and Switch) National TeamsBirth, parents, grandparents and residency: how FIFA decides who can play for which country, and when a player can switch.Africa Cup of Nations History: From Three Teams to 24How AFCON grew from a three-team tournament in 1957 into Africa's biggest sporting event, with its most successful nations.Africa at the World Cup: Every Milestone from 1934 to TodayEgypt in 1934, Morocco's 1986 breakthrough, Cameroon in 1990 and the first African semi-final in 2022.CAF Zones Explained: UNAF, WAFU, UNIFFAC, CECAFA and COSAFAThe six regional unions inside the Confederation of African Football, their members and their tournaments.How Football Elo Ratings WorkA plain-English explanation of the Elo rating system we use to rank African national teams, and why it beats simple tables.Caps, Goals, Appearances and xG: Football Statistics ExplainedWhat counts as a cap, why goal tallies differ between sources, and how expected goals (xG) work.South Sudan National Football Team: The Bright Stars StoryAfrica's youngest national team: from independence in 2011 to CAF and FIFA membership and every match since.