YAYA TOURé CHEERS AS AFCON TROPHY KICKS OFF GLOBAL TOUR
CAF's innovative Diaspora Tour, launched in Paris, uses football and culture to reinforce the bond between the continent and its global family ahead of AFCON 2025.
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Trophy Diaspora Tour started its international trip in Paris on Wednesday, December 3rd. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) presented the trophy at the Yoyo venue in Paris.
The tour was created to include African communities living outside of Africa and to strengthen the connection between them and the upcoming competition in Morocco next year.
Ivorian legend Yaya Touré, who won the trophy in 2015 and was named CAF African Player of the Year four times, was the main attraction of the night.
Touré stated, This trophy represents all of Africa. It makes me feel good to see it travelling to the diaspora in Paris. Africa should have moments like this where it is united by culture and football.
His being there created an identity and a sense of pride.
CAF Director of Competitions Samson Adamu spoke about why the tour was created.
“The Diaspora Tour is not just for publicity. It shows unity. The diaspora is very important to African football. This AFCON 2025 will belong to them, too. When AFCON happens, even Paris will be excited.”
A panel that offered personal thoughts and experiences from different generations of African football included Touré, Bruno Ecuele Manga (Gabon), and Moussa Niakhaté (Senegal).
The musical performances helped blend football with culture, which was the main goal of the Diaspora Tour.
Mohamed Ramadan was the first to perform. The crowd cheered loudly as he gave an energetic performance.
He told the crowd, “Africa is one big family. This tour brings us closer.”
Congolese rap icon Youssoupha then gave a strong performance.
The event stood out because of its feeling of togetherness.
All evening, the trophy got a lot of attention and showed off the continent and its global diaspora.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
