France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has explained why the Africa Cup of Nations remains a tournament he never misses.
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, the 1998 World Cup winner said his fascination with the AFCON began during the 1988 edition, which was hosted by Morocco.
The 1988 Africa Cup of Nations was won by Cameroon following a 1–0 victory over Nigeria’s Super Eagles. The decisive goal came from a second-half penalty converted by the late Emmanuel Kunde, with the Indomitable Lions coached 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 neighborhood, 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 most recent edition, AFCON 2025, was also hosted by Morocco, with Senegal’s Teranga Lions defeating the Atlas Lions 1–0 in the final.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles finished third, claiming their ninth bronze medal after defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties.