Rigobert Song reflects on his TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations experience since 1996

Rigobert Song, the record-holder for most appearances in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations with eight participations as a player, reflects on the key moments that connected him to this competition.

On February 13, 1996, the then 60,000 spectator capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg was introduced to a 20-year-old young man: Rigobert Song.

Africa was still unaware that a football icon was born that day, one who would leave an incredible mark on the game’s history for the next fifteen years. Wearing the number 17, the young defender from Nkenglikok already displayed his character and talent.

"I arrived at that Africa Cup of Nations confident because I had already gained experience with the national team, particularly during the World Cup in the United States two years earlier," he explains.

Starting in all three of the Indomitable Lions’ group matches, Song rose to the occasion despite his team's early elimination from the competition.

However, this difficult start didn’t mark the end of his rise. On the contrary, it was the first chapter of a career that, over the years, would propel him to the top of African and international football.