CAF’s planned African Nations League has sparked controversy online over its proposed regional groupings, with some fans calling the new competition the “African Nations Feud League.”
The tournament, announced in December 2025, is inspired by UEFA’s Nations League and is set to launch in 2029, dividing CAF’s 54 member associations into four regional zones, namely North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and Central and Southern Africa.
The tournament is expected to feature some of Africa’s top players from the world’s leading leagues, with teams competing first in regional groups before the winners advance to the continental finals to determine the African champion.
The regional phase will be played in September and October each year, before the winners from the four zones meet at a single venue in November.
One X user mocked the new competition as the “African-Arab Relations Destroyer League,” referring to the regional format that would see teams initially face only their geographic neighbors rather than being drawn randomly from across the continent.
Another user from Algeria said that the African Nations League “will cause more discord in North Africa than the Dajjal’s fitna,” while another user from Egypt joked that “the war is coming.”
The controversy comes as North African countries, including Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt, have a long history of football rivalries, with matches between them often attracting strong reactions from fans.
These rivalries were most recently visible online during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with fans from North African countries mocking and taunting each other after each match.
The announcement of the competition comes after CAF confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held every four years instead of every two, as the tournament has struggled in recent years to find a suitable place in the global football calendar.
The new competition is also set to replace the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament reserved for players competing in domestic African leagues.
