Senegal beat Morocco in a controversial decider in Rabat on January 18, and while it has taken some time for the dust to settle on that particular occasion, the moment for reflection can start.
FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger was a keen observer at the finals in Morocco, and as one of the most revered coaches of modern times after 22 years in charge of Arsenal, his voice carries weight.
Speaking ahead of the final, he summed up his thoughts on the tournament and admits African football is making the right kind of progress, with levels continuing to improve.
“I would say that overall the competition was extremely intense, which is a hallmark of modern football,” Wenger said. “The mental attitude of all the teams was very strong, and the physical level was absolutely unbelievable.
“The competition was highly competitive. When you watch the matches, it is very difficult to predict who will win because the level of the teams is very close. In the end, the two teams that reached the final had that little extra in terms of technical quality and maturity.”
The ‘maturity’ Wenger speaks about is in relation to the tactical ability of teams, but he also praised the influence of African coaches, with all four semi-finalists led by tacticians with roots on the continent.
Indeed, the last four editions have now been won by African coaches – Djamel Belmadi (Algeria, 2019), Aliou Cissé (Senegal, 2021), Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast, 2023) and Pape Thiaw (Senegal, 2025).
In fact, if you go back 11 editions, only two coaches from outside the continent, Herve Renard (2012 & 2015) and Hugo Broos (2017) have steered teams to victory.
“I was particularly impressed by the level of the coaches. I am also very happy to see African coaches leading African national teams, which is very positive,” Wenger said. “It shows that the organisational level was very high and that the decisions made by the coaches during matches were very good. Overall, this is extremely encouraging.
“It also shows that there is no longer a gap. In modern sport, information travels very quickly and everyone operates at a top level, where the marginal differences are very small.”
Wenger is part of the collective at FIFA that aims to understand trend in football and as such had a particular interest in the Technical Study Group at the AFCON. This is done to help coaches understand where the game is going.
“We analyse competitions to identify trends and understand what emerges from the teams that succeed, what we can anticipate in the future, where we need to improve, and how we can continue to evolve,” Wenger said.
“The technical study group has a responsibility to analyse these trends and help guide development, to understand what is important in player development and what can be added to what is already happening today.
“For us, this is extremely valuable in continuing to develop young players for the highest level.”