A few days to the kick-off of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, football lovers in Nigeria are protesting CAF’s decision to limit the number of matches that will be shown on terrestrial or Free-to-Air television to 32, while European terrestrial stations have the right to show all 52 games.
It will be recalled that CAF has limited public channels to only 32 of the 52 matches, a number many Nigerians consider insufficient.
A cross-section of Nigerians interviewed have called on the Federal Government to work with other heads of African governments to call CAF to order and ensure that the injustice is reversed before the tournament begins on December 21.
Malik Sani, an Abuja-based football aficionado, could not believe that CAF is allowing European televisions to show all the matches free on terrestrial stations in Europe, while Africans, the owners of the championships, are limited to only 32 matches.
“Will UEFA limit the number of EURO Championship matches to be shown in Europe to 32 and give Africa 52 matches?” Sani asked rhetorically. “We all know Europeans will never do that; they will give their citizens all the matches free and ask Africans to pay for all the matches.”
He could not understand the rationale behind giving all 52 matches free to Europeans, most of whom have pay television, and limiting Nigerians and Africans — where 80% of the citizens can’t afford pay television but rely on terrestrial television — to just 32 matches.
“This is unfair. We hope our government and other Heads of State across Africa will work with CAF to correct this injustice before the AFCON begins in a few days.”
European countries will be able to watch all 52 AFCON matches on Free-to-Air television. In the United Kingdom, for example, Channel 4 will show all 52 matches on free-to-air television for UK viewers. The 52 matches will be on E4, 4Seven, Channel 4 Streaming, and Channel 4 Sport YouTube.
Speaking on the deal, CAF General Secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba, said: “The agreement between CAF and Channel 4 is historic in many ways, and it ensures that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will live in every household in the UK.’’
But Stanley Okoro, an Enugu-based football fan, said the CAF General Secretary’s statement shows the premium they place on Africans and Africa.
“Will UEFA prioritise the EURO being shown in every home in Africa over Europe? I hope our leaders will intervene and call CAF to order before the championships begin. How many homes have pay television in Nigeria? How many can afford it? This is not fair to us,’’ said Okoro.
It is not only Nigerians who are kicking against what has been described as a slap in the face of Africans, but many Francophone public broadcasters are also seeking to secure the rights to show more matches free-to-air.
They are demanding access to all 52 matches. They argue that the decision to limit Africa’s free-to-air broadcasters to just 32 matches runs counter to the principle of universal access and say a competition partly funded by governments should be entirely available to the public.
There are insinuations that CAF president Patrice Motsepe’s interest in French broadcaster Canal+, which recently acquired MultiChoice Group, may partly be responsible for the decision, as it is believed they are subtly coaxing Africans to acquire pay television decoders and watch all 52 matches on pay television.
