CAF Unveils eAFCON, Expands Into eSports
The Confederation of African Football has unveiled eAFCON, a digital version of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, marking its official entry into the eSports space.
CAF said the initiative represents a major pillar of its commercial strategy and a step towards diversifying revenue streams while engaging new and younger audiences across Africa and globally. The digital competition is being developed in partnership with Konami through its football video game, eFootball.
According to the continental body, eAFCON is designed to strengthen the African eSports ecosystem and broaden the reach of the Africa Cup of Nations beyond traditional football platforms. The digital assets generated through the initiative will be added to CAF’s commercial inventory from the next AFCON cycle, enhancing the organisation’s commercial appeal and long-term revenue base.
CAF also highlighted significant growth in the commercial success of its flagship tournament in recent years. The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 recorded more than a 90 per cent increase in revenues, driven by expanded sponsorship deals, wider media rights distribution and entry into new markets, including China, Japan, Turkey and the European Union.
The football body attributed the growth to the retention of long-standing partners such as TotalEnergies, Orange, Lonaci, 1xBet, Visa, Tecno and Puma, as well as the attraction of new global brands.
By combining traditional football competitions with digital gaming, CAF aims to extend fan engagement beyond stadiums and television screens, while positioning African football as a stronger global sporting and commercial brand.
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