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The Africa Cup of Nations shouldn’t be viewed as some problem that needs sorting out, but every time the tournament comes around, the European football crowd starts complaining all over again. Which is why David Moyes’ recent comments feel refreshing.
Speaking ahead of Everton’s match against Chelsea, Moyes just laid out the obvious, even if some people don’t want to hear it. AFCON is an official tournament and players have every right to go off and represent their countries.
“We have to respect completely the Africa Cup of Nations,” said Moyes. “The players will go to play in the tournament for their countries, and rightly so. It’s a great thing they get selected for their countries, and we hope they do well.”
It really cut through all the years of dismissive European attitudes toward African football. A tendency perfectly captured by the same misplaced arrogance and audacity recently displayed by Como coach Cesc Fàbregas when he took issue with Diaw’s AFCON call-up with Senegal.
Because in Europe, AFCON is all too often seen as some inconvenience. Next thing you know, people are all about the players missing out, the title races that get disrupted, and the fixture congestion. It’s rare, though, that anyone ever thinks to have a conversation about how good the tournament itself is or what it actually means to the players who participate.
No one ever questions the importance of the Euros or the Copa America and clubs actually plan their schedules around them. But with AFCON, the tone shifts and that difference is difficult to ignore.
Respect should be normal, not notable
African players in Europe are regularly praised for the impact they make in the leagues over there. But then the AFCON rolls around and suddenly they’re framed as absent rather than as true representative of their nations that should be celebrated.
For many of them, this tournament is a big deal. It is the biggest stage of their international careers. It’s about identity, pride, and history.
David Moyes had a pretty good take on it when he said call-ups are something to be thrilled about, even if they do create headaches for clubs.
Now, Moyes didn’t try to deny that clubs get hurt by call-ups, but what he did do was refuse to treat AFCON like it’s any less important of a tournament just because teams might struggle a bit. That’s the kind of balance that’s been lacking from a lot of the European discussions for years.
Respecting African football does not mean ignoring club realities. It means accepting that African competitions should not always come second.
AFCON doesn’t need to be defended. Its record speaks for itself, it has produced world-class players, unforgettable moments, and a level of passion across the whole continent and beyond that’s hard to match.
