AFCON Stories Under the Radar | Maher Mezahi

Welcome to Episode 24 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest is Maher Mezahi, an Algiers-based football journalist who has covered North African football for nearly a decade. His work has been published in international publications such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, ESPN Africa and Al Jazeera English. He is also the host of the African Five-a-side podcast, which educated the football world about the African continent through the prism of its favorite pastime: football. If you want a deep dive into African football, Maher is the guy to talk to. We talk about this upcoming AFCON in the context of the tournament's history. On a personal note, Maher's grandfather was the referee for the semi-final of the first ever AFCON tournament in 1957. A passion for Algerian football grew into a desire to tell stories about African football, and Maher is about to embark on his fourth AFCON. We cover some of the tournament favorites, but also what makes AFCON unique compared to the World Cup and other continental competitions. As Maher describes it, for one month every handful of years, the sprawling diversity of Africa's languages, cultures, religions, and daily experiences all come together as one. It's a beautiful thing. He also provides us a lens into the history of football in the Cote d'Ivoire, where Didier Drogba united the country on the brink of civil war through the team's on-field success in 2005. For any viewer of this AFCON, knowledge of this history is critical for providing a context for understanding the impact of football in the host country. Further, we predict what the tournament's legacy will be in the Cote d'Ivoire and highlight Abidjan's status among West African cities. Be sure to follow Maher during this AFCON and beyond! X / Twitter YouTube Find out more about Because Football: LinkedIn Instagram YouTube For more about our Transform Soccer training programs in the USA: Website Instagram