African Cup of Nations Vote: Which Team Has the Best Nickname
One of the many great things about the African Cup of Nations are the team nicknames. Some inspire fear, others not so much. For example, would you rather play The Indomitable Lions or The Squirrels? Exactly. Read on for a complete list of all 16 team nicknames, and leave a vote for your favourite in the comments.
Angola - Palancas Negras (The Black Antelopes)
Benin - Les Ecureuils (The Squirrels)
Cameroon - The Indomitable Lions
Cote d’Ivore - Les Éléphants (The Elephants)
Egypt - The Pharaohs
Ghana - The Black Stars
Guinea - Syli Nationale (National Elephants)
Mali - Les Aigles (The Eagles)
Morocco - Lions de l’Atlas (The Atlas Lions)
Namibia - Brave Warriors
Nigeria - The Super Eagles
Senegal - Les Lions de la Teranga (Lions of Teranga)
South Africa - Bafana Bafana (The Boys, The Boys)
Sudan - Sokoor Al-Jediane (Desert Hawks)
Tunisia - Les Aigles de Carthage (The Eagles of Carthage)
Zambia - Chipolopolo (The Copper Bullets)
Please leave a vote in the comments section for your favourite team nickname. Only rule is that you can’t vote for the team you support.
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Comments
Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 30 comments.
Read the rest of the comments
By Brad | January 9th, 2008 at 10:28 pm 
Benin Squirrels. Cleverness, quickness, movement off the ball.
Posted from 
United States
By Ian | January 10th, 2008 at 12:56 am I have to go with Lions of the Atlas.
By Mike | January 10th, 2008 at 1:12 am there is just something about “The Black Stars” that just sounds so badass to me.
By Andrew | January 10th, 2008 at 8:33 am Eagles of Carthage but there are some other good ones as well
Posted from United States
By mcdavidson | January 10th, 2008 at 9:19 am indomitable lions.That name is original and not a copy as the other names. I institutes respect for African football. A team should be able to defend their name and not to put it for fancy.The indomitable lions have defended their names for the past decade
Posted from United States
By Molo Cape Town South Africa | January 10th, 2008 at 9:37 am Bafana Bafana means ‘the boys, the boys’. Regards from World Cup Host City Cape Town..
Molo
By Rab Bakari | January 10th, 2008 at 10:04 am Bafana Bafana has always rang well with me although it’s not my language or country!
Posted from United States
By Mafoya | January 10th, 2008 at 12:12 pm You gotta love the squirrels (Benin)
By Daryl | January 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm Rami,
You’re right. Thabo Mbeki was calling for South Africa to drop the Bafana Bafana nickname back in October:
“What kind of a name [Bafana Bafana] is it? I don’t think it is fit for a senior national team or for the hosts of the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” Mbeki told a South African radio station.
Can see his point, but it feels traditional now. Maybe if South Africa’s nickname wins this little vote-off on World Cup Blog then Mbeki will change his mind?
By Lethepu | January 12th, 2008 at 2:12 pm Indomitable Lions
By vicki tanto | January 14th, 2008 at 1:42 am The indomitable Lions. These Lions are tougher than the Teranga lions… They are a special set of Lions with a name even difficult to call nick name. I love these Lions while performing. They are indomitable in their playing style, they’er decipline and accept defeat.
In fact,they’re indomitable
Posted from 
Thailand
By Siebenwurz | January 16th, 2008 at 9:22 am The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Great name - great shirts - great team! Certainly the favourites to win the cup!
Posted from 
Germany
By piit | January 18th, 2008 at 7:50 am the Atlas Lions: this nickname revives the now extinguished Atlas Lions!
By Satyam | January 20th, 2008 at 6:33 pm definately zambia’s Chipolopolo… it sounds really good! I may be biased because i lived there for the first 12 years of my life lol… but it really does rolls off your tongue and sounds good!
By EnuguRangersFan | January 20th, 2008 at 10:54 pm I respect Camerounian soccer as a rival to my favorite Super Eagles but this has nothing to do with how good or bad the team is. The name “Indomitable Lions” is unique, proud, regal and dare I say it INDOMITABLE!
Posted from United States
By mandisa | January 21st, 2008 at 9:19 pm BAFANA BAFANA
Posted from 
Canada
By bebe | January 21st, 2008 at 10:31 pm chipolopolo for sure!!!!!!!!!! cpopper bullets.. gotta luv that
By Sunugal | January 21st, 2008 at 11:09 pm Les Lions Du Teranga……….We have the best nick name and meaning for that matter.
Teranga means hospitality which what Senegalese are known for.
Posted from United States
By Kagamz | January 22nd, 2008 at 12:55 am I like the name DESERT HAWKS - powerful, quick and proud. Love Africa
By Moh Jalloh | January 22nd, 2008 at 5:05 pm Syli Nationale (National Elephants)… That say it all, Hands down, the BEST Nickname in World Football for that matter! Not just big name players that can’t deliver. It’s not a threat to the known Giants in African and World Football, It’s a Promise “WE ARE COMING”. ..OOOPS, By the way we’re HERE!
Posted from United States
By Kalusha Bwalya | January 23rd, 2008 at 3:58 pm I have to go with Chipolopolo, and not just because its the couhtry of my screen name. Does anyone know a bar in NYC where we can watch the games?
Posted from United States
By bertha | January 24th, 2008 at 3:08 am chipolopolo of course the copper bullets.
By killa | January 25th, 2008 at 11:28 pm les lion de la teraguan 4 sho. but we changed it to mbarodi du senegal mbarodi = lion in Pulaar one of the language in senegal but its juts not popular as terengua so people just stick with terangua but mbarodi sound pretty bas as hell
By vocalman | January 29th, 2008 at 8:33 am Super Eagles is it. How many animals can defile the law of gravity fly in the air. That is the reason i love the name eagles cos it’s unique and their style of play is sublime.
By Truman | February 6th, 2008 at 3:40 pm “The Pharaohs” remembers me with the ancient greatest civliztion
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