After a long wait, the 2021 AFCON is finally set to begin next month in Cameroon with a record 24 teams slugging it out for the continent’s top prize. Like in other continents, national teams in Africa take pride in being addressed by their nicknames.
Many commentators and football pundits usually address these teams by these nicknames and this article lists the nicknames of all 24 participating teams and the origin of these names.
1. Cameroon (Indomitable Lions)
The Lion is the national animal of the Cameroon and it is a symbol of strength and power. Indomitable means they are not easily defeated.
2. Burkina Faso (The Stallions)
The White Stallion is the national symbol of Burkina Faso and they are two Stallions in it’s coat of arms.
3. Cape Verde (Blue Sharks)
Blue is the colour of their national jersey and Sharks because the country is associated with water (an Island).
4. Ethiopia (Walyas)
The Walyas is a specie of the Ibex, an animal that is very predominant in Ethiopia.
5. Guinea (Syli National)
The nickname simply means “national elephant” and Guinea is home to the national Elephant with the animal always represented in it’s coat of arms.
6. Malawi (The Flames)
The nickname is from the Malawian flag that has flames of rising sun.
7. Senegal (Teranga Lions)
“Teranga” is a Wolof word that means welcome or generosity.
8. Zimbabwe (The Warriors)
The nickname is from the Zimbabwean indigenous Zulu warrior.
9. Comorros (The Coelecanths)
Coelecanths is a type of fish and the tiny Island takes their nickname from it.
10. Gabon (The Panthers)
The black Panther is the country’s national animal.
11. Ghana (Black Stars)
The black star is always regarded as the West African’s country national symbol.
12. Morroco (Atlas Lion)
The nickname is coined from the Barbary lion which is predominant in the North African country.
13. Egypt (The Pharaoahs)
The nickname is coined from the ancient ruler of Egypt.
14. Guinea-Bissau (The African Wild dogs)
The African Wild dogs is a specie of the canids (a biological classification of dogs).
15. Nigeria (The Super Eagles)
Their nickname is from the country’s official football crest and the Eagle represents strength.
16. Sudan (Nile Crocodiles)
The Nike Crocodiles are present in many countries in including Sudan.
17. Algeria (Desert Foxes or The Fennecs)
The Fennec Fox is the national animal of the country and the desert is because a large portion of the country is a desert region.
18. Sierra Leone (The Leones stars)
From the country’s shortened name.
19. Ivory Coast (The Elephants)
The nickname is gotten from the African forest elephants which are predominant in Ivory Coast.
20. Equatorial Guinea (The National Thunder)
Their nickname is gotten from the thunderstorms of the equatorial climate.
21. Gambia (Scorpions)
They are called “Scorpions” because of the abundance of emperor scorpions in the West African country.
22. Mali (The Eagles)
Their nickname is gotten from the traditional hunting eagles of the Tuareg tribe of Mali.
23. Mauritania (The Almoravids)
Their nickname is gotten from the ancient Almoravids dynasty which was an empire in ancient Morroco in the 11th century.
24. Tunisia (Carthage Eagles)
The nickname is gotten from the ancient Carthaginian empire of Northwest Africa and Islands of Western Mediterranean Sea of which modern day Tunisia is situated.
