Discover the nicknames of the 24 teams competing in the 2024 African Cup of Nations (January 13-February 11) in Ivory Coast.
“Elephants”, “Fennecs”, “Stallions” or even “Mambas”… “Lions of the Atlas”, “of Teranga” or even “indomitable”… In Africa, the nicknames of the national selections are much more impressive than in Europe or South America, where we often just talk about the color of the jersey or the flag.
Sometimes the team’s nickname becomes a national affair. Like Benin: in 2022, a change of nickname was decreed because the “Squirrels” were considered not very intimidating. Now for the cheetahs.
As the African Cup of Nations begins on Saturday January 13 in Abidjan in Ivory Coast, France 24 takes a look at the nicknames of the 24 teams who will compete for the trophy until February 11.
Group A
Ivory Coast : THE Elephants will be at home for the African Cup and will try to make an entire nation proud. Their nickname is logical: the elephant is an integral part of the country’s identity and has impregnated even its name, along with ivory.
Guinea-Bissau : “THE Wild dogs” (“Os Djurtus”), canids living exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Guinea-Bissau where they are endangered.
Nigeria: THE ““Super Eagles”. Olympic champions in 1996 and three-time winners of the CAN, the “Eagles” of Nigeria are definitely “super”.
Equatorial Guinea : THE Nzalang National, “national lightning” in the Fang language. They showed at CAN 2022 that they were capable of hitting quickly and hard to the point of dazzling their opponent.
Group B
Egypt : THE Pharaohs. The Egyptians reign over African football with seven titles including three consecutive in 2006, 2008 and 2010. What could be more logical than adopting the name of the first leaders of their country, kings of ancient Egypt?
Mozambique: “Os Mambas”: The “Mambas” refer to the venomous snake, extremely aggressive when attacked. A nickname representing the danger that the Mozambique team embodies for its opponents. A nickname they shared with basketball player Kobe ‘Black Mamba’ Bryant, who died in January 2020.
Ghana: Ghanaians are nicknamed “the Black Stars“. Reference to their flag, which represents a large black star in the middle of colored bands. Sometimes also nicknamed the “Brazilians of Africa”.
Green cap : THE Tubarões azuis, or… the Blue Sharks. The shark is a very impressive animal for scaring adversaries; As for the epithet “blues”, it comes from the color of the jersey. Another nickname: the Crioulos (the Creoles).
Group C
Senegal : THE Lions of Teranga. Teranga means “hospitality” in Wolof. In Africa, many teams are nicknamed “the Lions”. Also, to distinguish the Senegalese from their “indomitable” adversaries from Cameroon or the Atlas Lions (Morocco), we have gotten into the habit, outside the country of Teranga, of completing their nickname. Their hospitality did not prevent them from being crowned king of Africa in 2022.
Gambia : THE Scorpios. During its first CAN in 2022, Gambia made an impression with its nickname and demonstrated that anyone who comes into contact with this little animal can get bitten by it.
Cameroon: THE Indomitable Lions. This nickname is one of the best known in the world, notably thanks to Roger Milla, who led an African team to the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time in 1990, or even Samuel Eto’o, the superstar who became president of the federation.
Guinea : THE National Syli. “Syli” means “elephant” in the language of the Soussous, one of the three majority ethnic groups in the country.
Group D
Algeria : THE Fennecs. A small sand fox from the Sahara, a protected species, the fennec is the totem of the Algerian selection. The players are also nicknamed “the Desert Warriors“or more prosaically the”Greens“.
Angola: “Os Palancas negras”. “Black antelopes” in Portuguese. The Angolans hope to reproduce the grace and power of the antelope in each of their matches.
Burkina Faso: THE Stallions. The nickname comes from the country’s coat of arms, which includes the national flag supported by two lances and two horses – representing Mossi warriors, the country’s majority ethnic group. Its founding legend is that of Princess Yennenga and her stallion, who founded the kingdom through their union.
Mauritania : THE Mourabitounes. The national team adopted the name of an ancient dynasty originating from Mauritania – in French, the Almoravids.
Group E
Tunisia : THE Eagles of Carthage. The eagle was the emblem of Carthage, capital of North Africa under the Roman Empire, destroyed in the time of Hannibal. A city which is the cradle of Tunisia.
Namibia: THE “Brave Warriors”. Quite simply, the “brave warriors”. Why make it complicated when it comes to nicknames when you can make it simple.
Mali: THE Eagles. Aerial duel in Group E since the Tunisians will face them against Malians who also adopted the nickname “Eagles” in the 1970s. Trained and supplied with equipment by the German technician Karl-Heinz Weigang, they sported a huge eagle German on their jerseys. The nickname stuck.
South Africa: the “Bafana, Bafana”. A term which means “boys, boys” in the Xhosa language, one of the main languages spoken in the country. The origin comes from the journalist Sbu Mseleku from Soweto, who used this term to refer to them.
Group F
Morocco : THE Lions of the Atlas. Third team of “Lions” of the CAN, Morocco takes this nickname from the species now extinct in the wild, which once lived in North Africa.
Tanzania : THE “Tafai stars”. “Taifa” means nation in Swahili. The stars of the nation will want to shine at CAN 2024 by showing their unity.
DR Congo: THE Leopards. The leopard is notably present on the logo of the Congolese football federation (FECOFA). But it should be noted that this was not always the team’s nickname. Between 1997 and 2006, the players were nicknamed “the Simba” (“Lion” in Swahili).
Zambia : THE “Chipolopolos.” the translation of this term means “copper balls”. Although the emblem on the Zambia Football Federation logo is an eagle, the nickname comes from one of the country’s most important resources, copper.
They miss the CAN
THE Zebus (Bareas) of Madagascar, the Hawks of Togo, the Cheetahs of Benin, the Swallows of Burundi, the Panthers from Gabon or even the Cranes from Uganda.