'Why is it so hard to make it in America'
Charles Bradley, backed by The Menahan Street Band, performs “Why Is It So Hard” live from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop in Austin, TX, during KEXP‘s broadcast at SXSW
Further Reading
Empire’s middlemen
From Portuguese Goa to colonial Kampala, Mahmood Mamdani’s latest book shows how India became an instrument of empire, and a scapegoat in its aftermath.
Who is AFCON for?
From air travel costs and border regimes to television culture and class exclusion, the problem of attendance at AFCON is structural, not because fans lack passion.
À qui s’adresse la CAN ?
Entre le coût du transport aérien, les régimes de visas, la culture télévisuelle et l’exclusion de classe, le problème de l’affluence à la CAN est structurel — et non le signe d’un manque de passion des supporters.
Lions in the rain
The 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco was a dramatic spectacle that tested the limits of the match and the crowd, until a defining moment held everything together.
What’s in an AFCON final?
From national redemption and continental dominance to personal legacy and political ambition, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final means everything to Africans.
Empty stands are not the whole picture
Why focusing on attendance figures at the 2025 AFCON is the wrong way to measure the tournament.
Between Bambali and Nagrig
The rivalry between Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah pushed them to unprecedented heights, but also links two seemingly distant and disconnected villages.
The untameable Victor Osimhen
The volcanic temperament and irresistible brilliance of the footballing star converge as the Super Eagles close in on continental glory.
Grounded expectations
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations marks a transition period for the Nigerian men’s national team. This could be good for them (and the nation).
The twins who shaped Egyptian football
While international media focuses on the legacy of Mohamed Salah during this Africa Cup of Nations, Egyptians are focused on a pair of identical twin brothers.
Where are the politics of Bafana Bafana?
While most sports in South Africa are inseparable from the national political imagination, men’s football manages to stay relatively removed.
Just touched down in Morocco
Does the development of African football necessitate a trade off in vibes at continental tournaments?
Cédric Bakambu’s gesture
How the Congolese national team has become a rare source of unity, recognition, and solidarity for communities living through war.
Three footballers walk into a stadium
What the presence of an unlikely trio of football icons at AFCON tells us about migration, African identity, and the histories that continue to shape the modern game
The Senegalese paradox
How Senegal rose to become one of the most fertile grounds in African football, and why this success still struggles to transform the local football economy.
Le paradoxe sénégalais
Comment le Sénégal est-il devenu l’un des viviers les plus prolifiques du football africain, et pourquoi ce succès peine-t-il encore à transformer l’économie du football local.
Sounds of the Africa Cup of Nations
What it sounds like on the ground in Morocco at the 2025 edition of Africa Cup of Nations.
AFCON and the politics of Africanhood
In Morocco, football has become a site for the slow re-Africanization of the country’s national identity.
The myth of Nigerian football exceptionalism
The Super Eagles don’t suffer from a shortage of talent, but represent a country unwilling to admit that greatness is not a birthright.
Salah in isolation
Distanced at club level, and scrutinized at home, there is no player with more to prove at this Africa Cup of Nations than Mohamed Salah.