Three footballers walk into a stadium
CAF President Patrice Motsepe during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Algeria and Sudan at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on 24 December 2025
“Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappé and Riyad Mahrez walking into the same stadium sounds like the opening line of a bad joke, yet it is exactly what the Africa Cup of Nations is bracing for on Sunday night, when Algeria face Burkina Faso at the Stade Moulay Hassan. Mahrez will be there as Algeria’s captain, the standard-bearer for a team riding his early-tournament brilliance. Zidane will take his seat in the stands as a father first, watching his son Luca marshal Algeria’s defence from goal. Mbappé, in Morocco during the La Liga winter break, is there to support his closest friend, Achraf Hakimi, but his presence will also be felt in solidarity with Les Fennecs. …”
Africa Is a Country