France and Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry, has explained why the Africa Cup of Nations is a tournament he has followed consistently over the years, describing it as a competition rich in talent, history and excitement.
Speaking on CBS Sports’ Golazo, the 1998 World Cup winner said his interest in the tournament dates back to the 1988 edition held in Morocco.
That tournament ended with Cameroon defeating Nigeria’s Super Eagles 1-0 in the final, with a second-half penalty from the late Emmanuel Kunde sealing victory for the Indomitable Lions, who were coached at the time by Frenchman Claude Le Roy.
“I want to give you a little background about me and the Africa Cup of Nations, and I will talk about what happened in the final.
“I started to watch the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988, and it was actually in Morocco. Cameroon won against Nigeria. In the final, there were some names you would remember: Roger Milla was playing in that team, and Joseph-Antoine Bell.
“I grew up watching it because where I’m from, in my neighbourhood, that’s how it was. You watch the Afcon because of some guys we talked about, like Lakhdar Belloumi, a very famous player. In Ivory Coast, you will have Abdoulaye Traoré. His nickname is Ben Badi.
“I can also mention the guys that came to play in Europe – Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Jay-Jay Okocha. It was always a tournament I enjoyed watching because you could see skills and great teams. I also watched this competition; I will always watch it.”
The former Barcelona forward also commented on the aftermath of a recent AFCON final, criticising the conduct of Senegal’s players following the match and questioning officiating standards at the tournament.
“The reaction of Senegal leaving the field was wrong. That’s not the image you want to give; not only for African football but for any football event.
“One thing I would say, though, after watching AFCON for a very long time, is that the referees are not at the level of the show.
“A lot of the things that happen in that tournament sometimes are because of referees’ mistakes.
“And I’m not blaming the referees; I’m blaming the people who are not training them to be at the level of the football we are watching.”
The most recent Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco in 2025, ended with Senegal’s Teranga Lions defeating the host nation’s Atlas Lions 1-0 in the final. Nigeria’s Super Eagles finished third, claiming their ninth bronze medal after a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt.
