A tournament like none other that reassures you the soul of Australian football is well and truly alive
The annual African Nations Cup competition arrived in South Australia at a peculiar time in 2026. From Adelaide United conceding 11 goals and losing three games without scoring in a week, to Adelaide City's elimination in the Australian Championship without a win in its first four games, to match-fixing allegations against local club Cove FC, and even FK Beograd and Cumberland United facing Round of 32 eliminations in the Australia Cup earlier in the year, let's say the vibe has been better in the South Australian capital.
Regardless of the climate, nothing shifts the energy like the African Nations Cup. Three weekends, nine days, two pitches, and a whopping 84 matches spanning from early morning encounters with spectators ranging from family, friends, security, and vendors setting up, to epic clashes as the Adelaide sun sets between tournament heavyweights with a roaring crowd that builds throughout the day, often preoccupied with the antics of the DJ booth or the social occasion the tournament provides.
Similar competitions are hosted around Australia, but South Australia has earned the reputation as a must-see event, with players such as the Toure and Yengi brothers, Awer Mabil, Amlani Tatu, Pacifique Niyongabire, Elvis Kamsoba, Valentino Yuel, Hosine Bility, Kur Kur, and Bruce Kamau being just some of the names who have either broken through in the tournament at a young age, played in it later in their careers, or supported it as their hometown's competition in their own way. The competition was once again hosted by Croydon FC, the home of the tournament since its split from Football South Australia in 2024.
Croydon's ground is the perfect spiritual home of the tournament as it sits in the heart of the Port Adelaide Enfield Council, with the 2021 Census indicating that just under 40% of its population was born overseas and 58% had at least one parent born overseas, both numbers significantly higher than the national average. Croydon's location has made it a hotbed for developing some of the African diaspora's brightest football talent, with the likes of Alhassan Toure, Mohamed Toure, Musa Toure, Tete Yengi, Hosine Bility, and Teeboy Kamara all having to Polonia to thank for part of their junior development.
The 2025 tournament saw DR Congo claim their first South Australian crown, with Pasia John emerging as a future star weeks after helping Croydon FC win the NPL Championship. The tournament's competitive nature was clear in 2025, with the fourth different Champion in as many years and the fact that powerhouses South Sudan and Burundi were eliminated in the quarter finals of the competition.
Similar shockwaves were felt in 2026 when the previous year's finalists, Ivory Coast, failed to advance from a highly competitive group stage. The Semi-Finals of the men's competition saw Burundi and South Sudan face each other.
Two teams that expect to lift the trophy every year clashed to ensure one powerhouse missed the final for a second straight campaign. A heated, scrappy game saw South Sudan advance on penalties, with the adoring fans of the Lions storming the field to celebrate with their side.
The other semi final saw a high-quality encounter between Somalia and DR Congo. Star Yusuf Ahmed decided the encounter with an outrageous knuckleball from range in the last attack of the game.
In the women's Semi-Finals, Liberia breezed past DR Congo 7-2 to reach the final for the first time since claiming the Championship in 2024. On the other side of the bracket, South Sudan overcame Burundi 2-1, a repeat of last year's Grand Final, for a chance to defend their crown.