With just one day to go before the opening match of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Africa has already made its first statement — and it has not come through tactics, team sheets or press conferences.

Instead, it has arrived through fabric, colour and cultural expression.

As delegations touched down across Morocco, airport terminals and hotel entrances became informal runways of African identity, offering a powerful reminder of why the Africa Cup of Nations remains unlike any other major football tournament in the world.

Africa’s flagship sports event has found its most authentic expression not on the pitch, but in the way teams chose to arrive — proudly dressed in national cultural attire, deliberately using the tournament’s global platform to project history, heritage and belonging.

In contrast to the often uniform, subdued arrivals seen at major tournaments elsewhere — where teams move anonymously in identical tracksuits — AFCON’s arrivals have once again underlined that this is a competition rooted as deeply in identity as it is in football.

Mali: Bogolan as history, resistance and pride

Few arrivals captured the spirit of AFCON more vividly than that of Mali. The Eagles stepped onto Moroccan soil in traditional Bogolan attire, their earth-toned fabrics immediately striking in both colour and meaning.

Hand-woven cloths and symbolic patterns reflected a textile tradition that stretches back centuries, where each motif carries meaning linked to strength, protection and ancestry.

Bogolan — traditionally dyed using fermented mud — is not worn lightly. It is a fabric of storytelling and resistance, historically used by hunters and warriors.

By choosing it for their AFCON arrival, Mali’s players made a statement that went beyond aesthetics.

That message was reinforced Mali’s declaration of 2025 as “Year of Culture”, as the delegation’s arrival is a deliberate assertion that football and heritage walk hand in hand.

Benin: quiet authority and ceremonial dignity

Where Mali’s arrival spoke loudly through symbolism, Benin chose a language of restraint and regal composure.

The Guépards arrived dressed in flowing ceremonial robes, marked by clean lines and subtle patterns long associated with dignity and royal tradition in Beninese culture.

The tailoring balanced tradition with modern elegance, projecting calm confidence rather than flamboyance.

This visual discipline mirrored the team’s approach off the pitch, as they settled into Benslimane to launch their AFCON campaign.

Zimbabwe: modern tailoring with national identity

For Zimbabwe, arrival attire became a bridge between tradition and modernity.

The Warriors appeared in tailored ceremonial jackets, sharply cut and unified in design, with national colours and insignia woven subtly into the fabric.

Accessories — including scarves and pocket details — echoed Zimbabwe’s identity without overpowering the ensemble.

The look reflected a team keen to present itself as organised, modern and purposeful. Officials spoke of high morale and full focus on acclimatisation, but the visual message was equally clear: Zimbabwe had arrived with intent, pride and unity.

Burkina Faso: simplicity as strength

The delegation of Burkina Faso embraced understatement, arriving in cream-coloured flowing tunics paired with matching trousers and soft caps.

Minimalist in cut yet rich in meaning, the outfits featured gold embroidery along the neckline, a nod to Sahelian ceremonial wear. The light palette conveyed calm and composure, while the uniformity of dress reinforced collective purpose.

In a tournament often defined by emotional extremes, Burkina Faso’s arrival suggested quiet resolve — a team grounded, focused and ready.

Nigeria: heritage in green, confidence in style

True to reputation, Nigeria made a bold yet culturally rooted entrance.

The Super Eagles arrived in deep green traditional ensembles, reflecting the national colour and Nigeria’s cultural influence across the continent. Loose-fitting tunics were decorated with lighter-green embroidery inspired by Yoruba and northern Nigerian designs, paired with tailored trousers.

Some players added caps and sunglasses, blending contemporary confidence with tradition. The message was unmistakable: Nigeria had arrived not only to compete, but to be seen — assured, expressive and unmistakably African.

Senegal: elegance, discipline and ceremonial grace

For Senegal, the choice was purity and refinement.

The Lions of Teranga stepped out in immaculate white boubous, accented by fine gold detailing across the chest and neckline. The flowing garments, paired with matching caps and minimal accessories, projected dignity and calm authority.

It was an arrival that reflected Senegal’s footballing identity — disciplined, respectful and quietly confident — and one that resonated deeply with the tournament’s emphasis on culture and unity.

Comoros: simplicity, humility and island heritage

As opening-match opponents to the hosts, Comoros arrived with understated symbolism.

The delegation wore cream and off-white tunics, matched with trousers and embroidered caps reflecting Swahili, Arab and island influences. Clean lines and soft fabrics emphasised togetherness and humility — values deeply embedded in Comorian culture.

With Comoros set to face Morocco in Sunday’s curtain-raiser, their arrival struck a tone of quiet pride rather than spectacle.

Why AFCON remains different

Taken together, these arrivals underline a fundamental truth: the Africa Cup of Nations is not simply a football tournament.

It Is a celebration of identity.

In a global sporting landscape often defined by uniformity, AFCON continues to offer space for expression — where teams carry stories, history and culture alongside tactics and ambition.

When Morocco face Comoros in the opening match on Sunday, the football will rightly command attention. But long before the first whistle, Africa has already spoken — through cloth, colour and confidence.

That, more than anything, explains why AFCON remains different. (CAFonline)