‘It was actually in Morocco’ - Henry reveals his first AFCON final was the game between Cameroon vs Nigeria

He stated that his passion for the tournament began with the 1988 AFCON edition hosted in Morocco, after criticising AFCON 2025 refereeing following the controversial Morocco vs Senegal final.

The Arsenal legend shared his earliest memories of the competition, which saw Cameroon's Indomitable Lions defeat Nigeria 1-0 in a hard-fought final.

Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, Henry reflected on the significance of that tournament. "I want to give you a little background about the Africa Cup of Nations and me," he began. 

"I started to watch the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988, and it was actually in Morocco. Cameroon won against Nigeria. In the final, there were some names you would remember: Roger Milla was playing in that team, and Joseph-Antoine Bell."

The 1988 tournament, held from March 13-27, featured eight nations competing across two venues: Casablanca's Mohammed V Stadium and Rabat's Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Henry explained that watching AFCON was a formative experience, shaped by his upbringing and the local heroes who inspired him. 

"I grew up watching it because where I'm from, in my neighbourhood, that's how it was," he said. 

"You watch the AFCON because of some guys we talked about, like Lakhdar Belloumi, a very famous player. In Ivory Coast, you will have Abdoulaye Traoré. His nickname is Ben Badi."

He also noted how the tournament served as a showcase for talent that would later dominate European football, citing legends like Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, and Jay-Jay Okocha.

"It was always a tournament I enjoyed watching because you could see skills and great teams," Henry added. "I also watched this competition; I will always watch it."