African football recently witnessed the “most successful commercial story” in its history, according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It’s a positive sign for the continent—but more successes must follow.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), hosted by Morocco, wrapped up a few months ago, and reports followed that the soccer tournament’s commercial revenue grew by 90 percent compared to the previous tournament.
That figure, which CAF said is record-breaking, shows that sport is growing rapidly across Africa. That growth is unlikely to wane soon, with Africa hosting global and continent-wide gatherings such as the 2026 Youth Olympics in Senegal, the 2027 African Games in Egypt, and several matches in Morocco as part of the 2030 World Cup.
African sporting organizations and host countries wishing to capitalize on these and other sporting events—for image enhancement, foreign direct investment, or long-term commercial partnership—must learn from CAF and Morocco’s example.
What AFCON got right—and what others have gotten wrong
The 2025 AFCON became such an economic boost primarily from CAF’s efforts to obtain global broadcasting deals and bring sponsorships to the tournament. As an added bonus, AFCON, as an event held regularly, offers a predictable environment for investors.
But while the 2025 AFCON was a success in cultivating investment through sports, other major sporting events held on the continent have not been as successful. Some of these include the African Games (most recently held in 2024 in Ghana) and the final African Nations Championship (held in 2023 in Algeria).
The African Games reportedly spent more than $200 million on infrastructure and operations, primarily funded by the Ghanaian government. Such an expenditure came just a year after Ghana secured a three-billion-dollar bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Algeria, like Ghana, funded the African Nations Championship with a mix of government and public funds. Both of these sporting events were arguably well organized and had large turnouts, yet they lacked the large amount of foreign investment that traditionally comes with hosting.
An obstacle in obtaining the typical benefits that come from hosting was that neither event had a dedicated commercial arm to attract private‑sector partners. The reality is that there is a need for any sporting organization or host country to focus on attracting investment so that a successful tournament can follow.
Such a commercial arm would help several African sporting organizations. For example, the African Union Sports Council (AUSC)—an African Union body that sets continent-wide sports development policy, supports in planning major sporting events, and coordinates public and private partnerships—lacks a commercial branch. It does not bring in investors or negotiate any sponsorships. At times, it lacks consistent coordination with regional groups such as CAF.
Additionally, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)—which is supporting the International Olympic Committee during the 2026 Youth Olympics hosted by Senegal—lacks a commercial arm. That has proven to be a fundamental obstacle to securing funding. While the event is being funded with international loans and support from the International Olympic Committee, a significant portion is still being funded by the government, which reflects the limited ability of African sports institutions to attract private investment.
A united approach
A solution for this could be a United African Sports Committee. Such a committee, made up of members of CAF, ANOCA, and AUSC, could attempt to fill the commercial gap and limited image enhancement that currently exists. This would not merge the organizations but serve as a panel that would work with host nations to negotiate brand deals using CAF as a standard. It could also standardize commercial guidelines to create stability for investors.
In addition to playing this role before the event, the committee could plan for after the event, mapping out how the infrastructure built for the tournament will be put to use after the games end. This would help ensure that the investment will create a lasting impact on the image of the country.
While several sporting bodies and organizations do coordinate for the African Games, this kind of cooperation remains confined to just the single tournament. The proposed committee would expand this collaboration to other continent-wide sporting events that would create a commercial infrastructure for all major African sporting events, not just one.
There is a strong incentive for these institutions to share their power. With the 2026 Youth Olympics, 2027 African Games, and the 2030 World Cup all approaching within the next four years, each organization has more to gain by working together than by holding its ground and watching another generation of major events fail to deliver lasting economic benefit.
A United African Sports Committee would capitalize on the advantages of each international organization. No single organization currently has all three capabilities of CAF’s commercial infrastructure, ANOCA’s experience with multi-sporting events, and AUSC’s power in setting continent-wide sports policy.
Lastly, the committee, by presenting a united front, would also eliminate the widespread inconsistencies across sporting events on the continent, which would be important for attracting investors. These inconsistencies are partly to blame for past failures in sporting events because investors avoid unpredictable environments. By planning these events in this committee, these tournaments can transform from one-time events that cost a large influx of the government’s cash to long-term investments that could improve both the economy and image of a host.
Whether African sporting organizations work together or not on the upcoming tournaments will determine if these sporting events effectively attract investment and grow the continent’s image.
Collin Creveling is a student at The George Washington University. He draws on studies in economics, policy analysis, and sports diplomacy to assess how major tournaments such as AFCON can be leveraged to attract investment and strengthen national image.
Further reading
Image: Senegal and Morocco play in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Photo by Oumaima Souaidi via Reuters.
