• Simon Adetona Akindes

Even VAR could not save the Africans who withered away in the first round of Russia 2018.

• Laurent Dubois

For a long time most football fans experienced the game via the radio, making broadcasters cult figures. Like Allou Ndiaye in 1950s Senegal.

• Grégory Pierrot

If the French now have regular, public discussions about race, we have to thank black members of its men's national football team.

• Keith Hamusute

In 1994, Zambia was on the cusp of qualifying for the World Cup. After a tragedy wiped out the national team it lost to bad refereeing.

• Ndeye Debo Seck

Ndeye Debo Seck has lost interest in local club football in Senegal. It has a lot to do with how the local game is administered.

• Norbert Odero

A Kenyan football fan reflects on a lifetime of World Cup finals.

• Steven Friedman

The reason why African teams struggle in the World Cup has everything to do with colonialism.

• Sebastian Abbot

When African football officials stop being corrupt and identify and develop young talent, an African nation would have a real chance of winning the World Cup.

• Laurent Dubois

The Senegalese football jersey is a powerful symbol of nationhood and independence.

• Ndeye Debo Seck

Football in Senegal is magic. That the team has qualified for their second World Cup, heightens the joy.

• Haythem Guesmi

Tunisia played England in France '98. English hooligans attacked Tunisians in the streets of Marseille. Algerians came to Tunisians' rescue.

• Kwesi Foli

One Ghanaian football fan wrestles with which teams to support in this year's World Cup after the Black Stars failed to qualify.

• Sarah El-Shaarawi

Reflections on World Cup fever from Cairo and my Canadian immigrant father's Egyptian football nationalism.

• Grégory Pierrot

Reliving the epic quarterfinal match between reigning European football champions, France, and 1983 Copa America runners-up, Brazil, at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

• Sean Henry Jacobs

We are exploring the culture and history of the World Cup for the next month while the tournament goes on.

• Chika Unigwe

For the Star Boys, a West-African performance collective based in Antwerp, Belgium, the dream of playing professional football in Europe found its revival in theatre.

• Uri Levy

The image of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, descending alone from the field after Gabon was knocked out of AFCON 2017 game, tells the whole story of Gabon's malaise.

• Aubrey Bloomfield

An Australian sports apparel company makes shirts for low profile national soccer teams, including a number of African ones.

• Todd Cleveland

With the passing of the legendary Mozambican-born Eusébio in 2014, Ronaldo is now the undisputed face of Portuguese soccer.

• Todd Cleveland

Or how Africa won Euro 2016 for Portugal.