Football and music are the two great shared languages of the continent, and when they meet, the results stick. African football anthems have been sung by miners, borrowed by Shakira, played every time France scored at a World Cup and performed in front of billions. Some were written for a tournament. Others were adopted by the terraces without anyone asking.
Here are ten African songs that became football anthems, and how each one got there.
1. “Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango (1972)
The most sampled African song in history began life on the back of a football record. In 1972 Cameroon hosted the Africa Cup of Nations, and Manu Dibango recorded a song for the national team. “Soul Makossa” was the B-side. Within a year it was a hit in New York and climbing the Billboard Hot 100.
Read the full Soul Makossa story.
2. “Shosholoza” (traditional, South Africa)
“Shosholoza” was first a work song, sung in call and response by Ndebele men who travelled by steam train from what is now Zimbabwe to work in South Africa’s gold and diamond mines. The rhythm matched the swing of their tools. Its words, a mix of Zulu and Ndebele, have been read both as the journey to the mines and the journey home.
It became so loved that it is often called South Africa’s second national anthem.
3. “Zangaléwa” by Golden Sounds (1986)
Before “Waka Waka” there was “Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)”, a 1986 hit by the Cameroonian band Golden Sounds. It spread across Africa and even reached Colombia through West African DJs, which is where a young Shakira heard it. Its chorus is itself thought to come from much older military marches.
The song is a reminder that many “global” football anthems started as African hits.
4. “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” by Shakira and Freshlyground (2010)
The official song of the first World Cup held in Africa borrowed its chorus from “Zangaléwa” and featured South African band Freshlyground. Many South Africans complained that FIFA should have picked a local artist to lead it, and some outlets accused Shakira of plagiarism.
None of that slowed it down. It went to number one in numerous countries, was the most successful song of 2010 in seven of them, and its video has passed 4.5 billion views on YouTube. Read Freshlyground’s side of the story.
5. “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan (2010)
Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan wrote “Wavin’ Flag” about Somalia and its people’s hopes for freedom. In 2010 Coca-Cola chose it as its World Cup anthem, and a new celebration version reached the top ten in more than 20 charts around the world. In Austria it held number one for four weeks until “Waka Waka” knocked it off.
A song about one of Africa’s most troubled countries ended up as the soundtrack of the continent’s biggest party.
6. “Magic in the Air” by Magic System (2014)
Ivorian group Magic System released “Magic in the Air” with Moroccan singer Chawki in March 2014, ahead of that year’s World Cup. Despite the English title, the lyrics are in French, apart from the phrase “feel the magic in the air”. It became a stadium favourite in France and Belgium.
At the 2018 World Cup it was played every time France scored, and France won the tournament. Read how Magic System made “Premier Gaou”.
7. “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)” with Davido (2022)
The first single from the official soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar brought together American singer Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Qatari singer AISHA, produced by RedOne. “Hayya” is Arabic for “let’s go”. Reviews were mixed, but Rolling Stone later ranked it among the best World Cup songs.
8. “Arhbo” by Gims and Ozuna (2022)
The second single from the Qatar soundtrack paired Gims, the Kinshasa-born French rapper, with Puerto Rican star Ozuna. It was released on 19 August 2022, a reminder of how much French pop owes to its African-born stars.
9. “Light the Sky” (2022)
The Qatar soundtrack also featured “Light the Sky”, sung by Moroccan singer Manal with Nora Fatehi, Rahma Riad and Balqees. It arrived in the tournament where Morocco became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
10. “Akwaba” by Magic System, Yemi Alade and Mohamed Ramadan (2023)
When Côte d’Ivoire hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in early 2024, Magic System were the obvious choice. “Akwaba” means “welcome” in Baoulé. They brought in Nigeria’s Yemi Alade and Egypt’s Mohamed Ramadan, so West and North Africa shared the mic. Universal Music Africa released it on 13 October 2023, and the hosts went on to win the tournament.
What makes the best African football anthems last
The songs that last are the ones fans can sing back: a short chant, a call and response, a chorus that works in any language. “Shosholoza” and “Zangaléwa” managed that without any marketing at all. For more on music and the game, read when Ghanaian music met the Black Stars and our guide to African musicians at the 2026 World Cup.
