African soccer teams love their nicknames, and you really have to get have one if you are going to be taken seriously.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions became famous 27 years ago when they reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Italy. The Terenga Lions of Senegal held their flag high at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea and the Black Stars of Ghana dominated the headlines in 2006 and 2010 in Germany and South Africa respectively.
Some of the nick names of the countries are lovely, others fascinating and some hard to mention in their local language.
Here are the nicknames of the 16 teams to do battle in Gabon from January 14 to February 5
Group A
Gabon The Panthers
Burkina Faso The Stallions
Guinea-Bissau The Wild Dogs
Cameroon The Indomitable Lions
Group B
Algeria The Desert Warriors
Tunisia The Carthage Eagles
Senegal The Terenga Lions
Zimbabwe The Warriors
Group C
Ivory Coast The Elephants
D.R. Congo The Leopards
Morocco The Atlas Lions
Togo The Hawks
Group D
Ghana The Black Stars
Mali The Eagles
Uganda The Cranes
Egypt The Pharoahs
Very fascinating and interesting isn’t it? Of all the sixteen countries at this year’s AFCON, only three are not using the names of animals; The Black Stars of Ghana, The Pharaohs of Egypt and The Warriors of Zimbabwe. And even with the three, two are humans; The Pharaohs and The Warriors with the only element being The Black Stars.
Does this tell you something? Share your thoughts.
By: Sheikh Tophic Sienu @desheikh1 on twitter