From the initial low scoring affairs to the nail-biting final which ended with #TeamSenegal’s victory over #TeamEgypt in a tense penalty shootout, football fans turned to Twitter to follow all the latest and most exciting news around the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021 tournament. Through a data pool of Tweets, hashtags and handles, Twitter has highlighted the key moments that drove the public conversation during AFCON.
The most used 2022 AFCON hashtags
Despite an early exit from the tournament, #TeamGhana was still a major conversation driver globally, and among the top hashtags used during the tournament. #AFCON2021 was the most used hashtag worldwide, and finalists #TeamSenegal and #TeamEgypt as well as hosts #TeamCameroon were also among the top 10 hashtags. Globally, the 5 most used hashtags were:
#AFCON2021
#CAN2021
#TotalEnergiesAFCON2021
#TeamNigeria
#TeamGhana
The most mentioned handles
The most mentioned handles during the tournament consisted of a mix of national teams, official pages, international players and trusted pages dedicated to punditry and commentary. The official Confederation of African Football (CAF) handle received a ton of engagement, coming in second place on the list of top handles, with the Nigerian national team leading the pack in first place.
Top AFCON Tweets
The most successful AFCON Tweets consisted of a mix of tense moments on the pitch, support from fans and other footballers, hilarious commentary etc. The top Retweeted post came from French play Kylian Mbappe hailing Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi as “the best right-back in the world”. Below are some of the most engaging and hilarious Tweets from AFCON.
Top emojis, media and other stats of note
When it comes to using Emojis, the top 10 list reveals a range of emotions only football can elicit from people on Twitter. From laughter to tears, clapping, trophies and sheer alarm, Emojis played an important role in expressing the emotions amid often heated and joyful conversations. The top Emojis used were:
😂 😭 👏🏾 🔥 🔴 🆚 🏆 🦅 😍 🚨
Twitter has also revealed that many AFCON Tweets included media. Pictures and videos where often used to tell and amplify inspirational AFCON stories; such as a video posted by sports journalist and Twitter Spaces host of #AFCONwithJuliet Juliet Bawuah, telling the story of Salima Mukansanga following her historic appearance as a referee at #AFCON2021.
Latest Stories
-
‘What are the real causes of the erratic power outages?’ GUTA demands from ECG
16 mins -
Implementing ESG framework in Ghana’s energy sector for sustainability
50 mins -
CAFCC: Dreams FC exit competition after 3-0 defeat in Kumasi
50 mins -
The detrimental effects of political interference on Ghana’s electricity sustainability
53 mins -
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s appointment as running mate intimidates the NPP – Benjamin Quashie
59 mins -
Black Stars physical trainer dead
1 hour -
Bawumia to kick off nationwide campaign for Election 2024 tomorrow
1 hour -
GUTA charges ECG to provide ‘dumsor’ timetable for businesses to plan
1 hour -
Reason for training professional counsellors is to heal a hurting world – CCP president
3 hours -
Woman allegedly brings dead man to bank to take out a loan
3 hours -
It’s a good feeling to score against PSG because I’m a Marseille boy – Andre Ayew
4 hours -
Joe Lartey Sr: A voice that brought life to Ghana sports and beyond
4 hours -
Bawumia promises to tackle issue most dear to Ghanaians as he begins nationwide campaign
6 hours -
Indian couple donate $24m fortune to charity to adopt monkhood
6 hours -
Australians call for tougher laws on violence against women after killings
6 hours