In case you’ve been living under a rock, Egyptian artists Nesma Mahgoub and Sharmoofers gave one hell of a performance last weekend. During the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opening ceremony, the Cairo Stadium was shaking for all the right reasons. Here are five reasons why we absolutely loved it.
The music
Afro vibes were all over the multi-lingual song; written by Ahmed Bahaa, Menna El Qiey, and Nihal El Sisi, and were definitely on point. It even got better and better as the song took an Egyptian turn later on.
The choice of artists
Sharmoofers and Nesma Mahgoub were hands down a perfect choice for the opening act of such an event. Mahgoub’s powerful voice that never lets you down, along with Sharmoofers' happy, vibrant vibes are everything we’d ever want.
The styling
Kudos to Sundos Ayoub, the costume designer behind this Afro-performance. Apart from our favourite wardrobe item, which is Moe’s tribal cardigan, we also loved how Nesma embraced her natural curls again.
The choreography
When Sharmoofers and choreography come together, they never fail to impress. Why? Well, it’s because Khadiga El Arkan is always the mastermind behind it.
Last but not least, Bob’s voice
This could’ve fallen under the choice of artists, but Sharmoofers' on-stage charisma is something, and Bob’s ability to access these notes is something else. The performance felt like it came straight out of a Lion King movie.
If you still haven’t watched the performance, you’d better do and let us know what you think about it.
On a football-related note, the event will take place until the 22nd of November. The Egyptian team, playing in Group A, has already scored its 1-0 win over Mali in the opening game, and tonight, they’ll be playing against Ghana. Egypt will then play against Cameroon on the 14th. All of group A’s matches will be in the Cairo Stadium while Group B; which includes Nigeria, Zambia, Ivory Coast, and South Africa, will have its games held in El Salam Stadium. The top 3 winning teams will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
