African Cup 2025: French-made man of the match figure

The Confederation of African Football resorted to a French blacksmith’s workshop to manufacture a new model of the Man of the Match award during the finals of the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations.

The competition concluded a week ago, with the Senegalese team crowned at the expense of its Moroccan counterpart after the former won the final match with an unanswered goal scored by player Pape Gueye in the first extra period.

France 3 proudly revealed the identity of the manufacturer of the Man of the Match figure; Awarded to the best player after the end of each match.

One of the five French craftsmen from one of the provinces of the Normandy region in the north of the country appeared. He explains the steps for forming the cup in a television report broadcast by the public channel.

For its part, the African Confederation avoided mentioning the source in the technical card issued on its website a week after the start of the African Cup of Nations.

“Kaf” contented itself with explaining the meanings it carries, which are represented by 24 sparkling rays.

Each beam symbolizes one of the 24 teams that have registered to participate in the competition.

In the middle of the cup is the “Damascus Rose,” which the African Union attributed to the host country.

The Continental Commission decided, according to what it published in its statement: In cooperation with its official partner, the French Total Energies Foundation, it removed the traditional dress that dominated the figures of previous editions.

However, the question that arises is: How did “CAF” grant the honor of manufacturing the model to a foreign workshop at a time when Morocco praised at length the visual identity of the competition and tried to monopolize a common cultural heritage represented by the clay?

Or is the hand of the official sponsor of the African Union higher, even at the expense of the organizing country, which was apparently forced to exclude local craftsmen?!