African national football team nicknames – Goalpedia

What do African national football team nicknames tell us about the continent’s biggest sides?

Across African football, more so than in other areas of the world game, African national football team nicknames tell the stories and convey the identities of the countries they belong to and contribute to the national consciousness.

“You could compile a hefty encyclopaedia of the monikers by which football in Africa tells its stories, makes its heroes, piques its villain,” wrote journalist Ian Hawkey, with these nicknames proving vital in fuelling a sense of identity and nationhood.

Common names play such a critical role in distinguishing a nation from an ethnic community, and it’s therefore little surprise that the nicknames of African national sides have such prominence, and play such a crucial role in reflecting the national narrative, and contributing to national unity.