The Great African Football Hoax of 2025
And so the curtain rises on another episode of the most overhyped soap opera on the continent where the grass is green but the money is always greener. But do not let the bright lights of the stadium fool you into thinking this is just about sport. Because when we talk about the Senegal versus Mali quarter-final, we are actually talking about an ego trip that has been decades in the making. And let us be real for a second because nobody else has the guts to say it. But Kalidou Koulibaly hitting 101 caps is less about a legendary career and more about a PR machine that needs to keep the ‘Lion’ brand alive for the sponsors. It is exhausting. Because we are expected to bow down to this ‘Lion Centenary’ as if the man has personally cured football when he just missed a match for suspension. But that is the trick isn’t it? They make you wait for the hero to return so they can sell more jerseys to fans who can barely afford a sandwich.
Saintfiet Playing Chess with Pigeons
And then you have Tom Saintfiet who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. But he is really just shouting into a void. Because Thiaw had to come out and ‘calm the ardeurs’ of Saintfiet which is just a polite way of saying the man needs to sit down and be quiet. It is a circus. But what do you expect when you have managers who spend more time in front of a microphone than on the training pitch? And the tension between Senegal and Mali is not even about the ball anymore. Because it is about who has the bigger ego in West Africa. But Mali is the dark horse that everyone is terrified of because they do not have the shiny marketing budget of the Senegalese federation. And that makes them dangerous. Because they have nothing to lose while Senegal has everything to lose including their dignity if they get knocked out by a neighbor they look down on. It is pathetic really. But the drama is what sells the tickets so we keep watching this car crash in slow motion.
The Moroccan Cameroonian Power Struggle
And while the world is busy looking at the Lions of Teranga we have the real heavyweights clashing in a match that actually matters. But Morocco and Cameroon is the game for the purists who know that the north-south divide is the real heart of African football. Because Morocco thinks they are the kings of the world after that World Cup run. But Cameroon has that old-school grit that does not care about your fancy training facilities or your European-based superstars. And the clash is going to be ugly. But in a good way. Because it will expose the cracks in the Moroccan dream. And let us talk about the Cameroon ego for a second. But they are the original kings who feel like the crown was stolen by the new money Moroccans. It is a war. Because every tackle is a statement and every goal is a middle finger to the establishment.
And the irony of Koulibaly being celebrated for his 101st cap during this chaos is not lost on me. But it feels scripted. Because how convenient is it that his return from suspension coincides with the biggest marketing push of the quarter-finals? And the fans are eating it up. But they are being fed a diet of artificial narratives. Because the actual quality of play in these games is often secondary to the stories the media wants to tell. And it makes me sick. But what can you do? Because the system is designed to reward the loudest voices and the biggest stars regardless of whether they actually perform on the day. And if Senegal loses, the excuses are already being written in the press box. But if they win, expect a week of unbearable ‘Lion’ metaphors that will make you want to throw your television out the window. It is the same cycle every two years. Because we never learn.
The Future of This Manufactured Rivalry
And what happens after the final whistle? But we already know. Because if Mali pulls off the miracle, the Senegalese fans will blame the referee or the grass or the moon alignment. And if Senegal wins, they will act like they are the only team in Africa that matters. But the truth is that Mali has been closing the gap for years while Senegal has been resting on its laurels and its sponsorship deals. And the future of the CAN depends on these smaller nations finally standing up and punching the giants in the face. Because that is the only way to break the monopoly of the ego. But don’t hold your breath. Because the organizers love the big names in the final. And Koulibaly is the biggest name they have left. It is a rigged game. But it is the only game in town. And because of that we are trapped in this loop of centurion celebrations and fake respect between managers who secretly hate each other. It is messy. But that is why we love the gossip more than the goals.
And don’t even get me started on the television coverage. But the way they talk about ‘The Lion’ like he is some sort of mythological beast instead of a guy who gets paid millions to stop a ball is hilarious. Because it is all a facade. And we are the audience in a play that was written by marketing executives in Paris and Dakar. But the reality is that the players are just as tired of the hype as we are. And you can see it in their eyes. Because the pressure to be a ‘Centurion’ or a ‘Legend’ is weighing them down. But the sponsors won’t let them be human. And that is the real tragedy. Because we are losing the soul of the sport to the machinery of fame. And in the end, whether it is Mali or Senegal who moves on, the only real winner is the bank account of the federations. But try telling that to the guy in the stands who spent his life savings to see his idols. It is a scam. Because the passion is real but the product is plastic. And we keep buying it. But that is the power of the game. It is addictive. Because even when you know you are being lied to, you still want to see who scores the winning goal. It is a beautiful disaster.
