On January 13, 2024, Magic System, Yemi Alade and Mohamed Ramadan sang “Akwaba” at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Abidjan. Ivory Coast then faced Guinea-Bissau. For Alade, it was a long-held dream. For the tournament, it was yet another entry into a musical tradition that has been surprisingly under-recorded despite the constant presence of Nigerian voices.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Latest AFCON official song | “Africallez”, Morocco 2025 |
| performed by | Angélique Kidjo, Jaylann and L’Artiste |
| Previous official song | “Akwaba”, Ivory Coast |
| Nigerian official songs | J. Martins (2017), Femi Kuti (2019), Yemi Alade (2023) |
| The next tournament | Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, 19 June-17 July 2027 |
| 2027 songs | Not announced as of October 12, 2026 |
| Where to listen | CAF’s official YouTube channel and licensed streaming services |
Official songs, according to the release
We have checked each line below against contemporary reports or CAF’s own announcements. Angola 2010, the 2012 edition shared by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon 2021 have been deliberately omitted.
| Edition | The owner of the house | The song | Artists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | South Africa | “Sela Sela” | Wes Madiko, Zahra Universe |
| 2015 | Equatorial Guinea | “hello hello” | Written by Toofan; Sung by Fally Ipupa, Eddy Kenzo, Mani Bella, Molare and others |
| 2017 | Gabon | “Africa in Gabon” | Patience Dabany, Serge Beynaud, J. Martins, Shan’l, NG Bling, Prince Kiala |
| 2019 | Egypt | “Metgamaeen” (We Are Together) | Judge, Femi Kuti, Dobet Gnahoré |
| 2023 | Ivory Coast | “I wish” | The Magic System, Yemi Alade, Mohamed Ramadan |
| 2025 | Morocco | “Africallez” | Angélique Kidjo, Jaylann, The Artist |
Why the gaps? For 2010 and 2012, we could not find a CAF announcement or a reliable report from when an official track was named. Cameroon 2021 is more confusing: the state daily Cameroon Tribune reported that the anthem “AfricaSmile” was presented in Yaounde after the national artistic competition in May 2021, while other online lists give a different title and we could not decide which CAF is considered as its official song.
Formats also vary. The 2015 song of the year was written by Togolese band Toofan, who didn’t even qualify, and Burkinabè outlet Burkina24 listed Nigerian singer Wizboy among the performers.
Where Nigeria comes from
The first clear Nigerian credit in this period belongs to J. Martins. The Moroccan magazine TelQuel reported that “L’Afrique au Gabon” was launched on January 8, 2017. He shared it with Gabonese veteran Patience Dabany, Ivory Coast star Serge Beynaud and others.
Two years later, the choice became more difficult. Much heavier. Egypt set up “Metgamaeen” in three languages, with Hakim singing in Arabic, Dobet Gnahoré in French and Femi Kuti in English, and all three paid for the June 2019 opening ceremony in Cairo, a booking that put Afrobeat on the biggest stage in African football.
Then came Yemi Alade.
He was the only Nigerian on the song ‘Akwaba’ produced by Dany Synthé and released in October 2023 via Universal Music Africa and he didn’t hide what it means. “It is a dream come true for me to create the official anthem for AFCON with other prominent African artists,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos in December. He already had his moment on the opening night and we have the full cast in our coverage of the stars performing at the AFCON 2023 opening ceremony. For the song itself, our AFCON 2024 official theme song page covers its release.
Official song, sponsor track or fan anthem?
Morocco 2025 shows how fast the labels are blurring. In mid-December 2025, Mohamed Ramadan told Egypt’s Noujoum FM radio that he would be in Morocco “to record the official song for AFCON”. Meanwhile, producer RedOne released his 12-track project ‘AWAM’, which Moroccan publication MWN Lifestyle called the official album of the tournament, featuring the likes of Akon, French Montana and Yemi Alade. France’s Montana, Davido and RedOne headlined the CAF opening ceremony held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on December 21.
None of these were official songs.
CAF presented it on the same day: “Africallez”, by Benin icon Angélique Kidjo with Moroccan singers Jaylann and L’Artiste.
So Davido topped the bill in Rabat without the official anthem. Yemi Alade appeared on the tournament album without singing the CAF track. Fans searching for the official song of AFCON online are constantly faced with this confusion, with fan chants and sponsor jingles dubbed as anthems after going viral.
Where to listen and what comes next
“Available on all streaming platforms,” CAF said of “Akwaba”. For videos, search CAF’s official YouTube channel or verified artist pages instead of re-uploads. This is the legal way. He pays the musicians.
Nothing to report yet for 2027.
CAF has confirmed that the KE-TZ-UG 27 tournament will be held from June 19 to July 17, 2027 under the Swahili theme ‘Pamoja’ which means together. As of October 12, 2026, no official songs had been announced.
In our opinion: if CAF wants these songs to continue like some of the World Cup anthems, they should name them early, clearly credit each artist and keep one official record, and the Nigerian voice on the 2027 track will hardly be a surprise. Our guide to every official World Cup song shows how FIFA does it.
This article was last revised and updated 18 seconds ago