Les Lions de la Teranga (The Teranga Lions), Senegal’s official football team, are the AFCON 2025 champions after a competitive final against Morocco in Rabat, Morocco. Captain Sadio Mané received the Player of the Tournament award (Golden Ball) for his outstanding leadership and crucial contribution throughout the tournament. Africa as a Country’s AFCON 2025 series captures the defining moments that showcase African football at its highest level.

The Electoral Commission of Uganda announced Yoweri Museveni’s victory in the presidential election for a seventh term, amidst calls for the government to restore internet connectivity.  During the campaign season, opposition leaders Kizza Besigye and Robert Kyagulanyi (also known as Bobi Wine) faced sustained government oppression, with Kizza detained and Bobi Wine’s rallies disrupted, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral environment.

• Celebrated Kenyan filmmaker and anthropologist, Nicholas Wambugu Gichuki, took his final bow last week following a short illness. Fondly known as “Rambo” for his confidence and courage, Gichuki used his lens to amplify silenced voices and confront social injustice. His arrest in May 2025 alongside three colleagues for their alleged participation in the BBC documentary Blood Parliament did not deter his pursuit of the truth. Most recently, he co-directed The People Shall, a documentary that documents Kenya’s 2024 youth protests, and was recognized as one of Kenya’s 40 Under 40 most influential men.
• Benin’s annual edition of Vodun Days, which celebrates the nation’s cultural and spiritual heritage, took place in Ouidah earlier this month. The festival aims to demystify Vodun with a rich showcase of rituals, concerts, and various performances.
• Prof. Ken Opalo outlines key economic, security, electoral, and geopolitical trends to watch in 2026.
• Zimbabwe’s Ashley Lupondo, an equestrian athlete, made her first international debut at the FEI World Junior Vaulting Championships in 2025.

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Image: Sadio Mané - Persepolis F.C. v Al Nassr FC. 19 September 2023. Photo credits: Mehrdad Esfahani/SNN, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0