Angélique Kidjo: « presenting the CAF Awards is an extension of my passion for football and Africa»
Five-time Grammy Award winner and an indispensable figure of African culture, Angélique Kidjo will host the 2025 CAF Awards in Rabat. Between her passion for the continent, love of football and childhood memories, the Beninese artist reflects on a role that resonates deeply with her journey.
An emblematic figure of African music and an outspoken voice of the continent, Angélique Kidjo is about to take on a new role: that of master of ceremonies of the 2025 CAF Awards, scheduled for Wednesday evening in Rabat. Alongside Moroccan comedian Oualass, the Beninese icon will host the evening that will celebrate the greatest talents in African football.
For the five-time Grammy Award winner, presenting this event is not a mere ceremonial exercise. It is, she says, a natural extension of her love for Africa and for sport. In an interview with CAFOnline, the artist admits she never plans her career down to the smallest detail: “I stay open to opportunities. When the stars align, you have to know how to say yes.”
Raised in a family where sport played a central role, Kidjo says she grew up with a ball at her feet alongside her brothers, encouraged by a father who refused any notion of gender in physical activities. Football, she explains, forged her discipline, her confidence and her ability to channel her energy. Hosting the CAF Awards, she says, awakens a powerful emotional charge: “I wish my father could see this moment.”
Over the course of rehearsals, she says she rediscovered her own adaptability and the need to learn every day. Above all, she hopes to inspire African youth: “Football, it’s not just about making money. It’s a school of life, a driver of health, of dreams and of discipline.” In Rabat, then, a multifaceted, passionate and deeply African artist is set to celebrate the continent’s heroes.
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