CAN in Morocco: Edgar Barros, the digital showcase of the Lions

Millions of Internet users followed the African Cup of Nations through his videos. An original, immersive cover, driven by an assumed complicity with the players and a real symbiosis with the supporters. Throughout the competition, Edgar Barros not only told the story of the CAN: he brought it to life.

He carefully prepared this CAN in Morocco. Beforehand, he had already gone to the CAN in Ivory Coast, which he had the opportunity to cover. A full-scale experience which allowed him to test his approach and refine his strategy. Result: 35 million impressions. An impressive figure, but insufficient in his eyes.

Ambitious and visionary, the content creator then decided to broaden his impact. He chose to write a book to record his experience in time. Then, on the advice of his father, he explored another register: music.
He contacted the Malian artist Sidiki Diabaté. Collaboration happens quickly. “He was very responsive. We saw each other the next day, we recorded and the music was a hit,” he confides. The title exceeds 200,000 publications on social networks and becomes a real anthem. In the stadiums, it rings out before and after each Senegal match, helping to electrify the atmosphere.

A lifelong football fan, Edgar Barros himself played on the pitch in his youth. But if the field was not his destiny, he found another way to serve this sport: telling his stories behind the scenes and enhancing the emotions.

One of the highlights of his career remains his interview with the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, during the official presentation of the national flag. A symbolic sequence which confirms its positioning in the Senegalese media ecosystem and marks the beginning of its immersion alongside the Lions.

To collaborate with the national team, he took several steps with the Senegalese Football Federation. Although no contract has yet been signed, his presence and his work have been recognized. In Morocco, it stood out by providing access to the backstage: changing rooms, moments of relaxation, communion with the supporters.

His challenge was to find the right balance. Do not be too close to the players to preserve their privacy, nor too distant to maintain the authenticity of the exchanges. “I had to let them come to me,” he explains. Its objective was clear: to bring out the fiber of the jersey, to promote the work of the Federation and to convey national pride.

The pressure was imposed on himself. Before the competition, he made numerous trips to Morocco to scout around and show the host country’s preparations. A strategy that has paid off.
At the end of the competition, the results are spectacular: 250 million cumulative impressions and a second star added to the Senegal jersey. Increased visibility, new opportunities and reinforced recognition in the media landscape.
But beyond the numbers, Edgar Barros learns a lesson: resilience. A value that he says he found in the career of Sadio Mané and his teammates. Knowing how to cope, staying focused, only keeping good energy.
The CAN also offered him significant meetings, notably with Omar Sy, Akon and Khady Lam. Exchanges made possible by the scale of the event and the power of digital.
Today, Edgar Barros is no longer content with covering football. He shapes a new way of telling African sport.

Fatima Ba