AFCON or After-School Tournament? - United Tears, Nigerian Joy & a Whole Lot of Ranting

What happens when AFCON comes right after Nigeria bottle World Cup qualification?

Tide loses patience. Completely.

This special Five Aside episode turns into a full-blown football therapy session as Tide questions whether AFCON even deserves respect, compares it to going back to primary school after getting cooked in secondary school, and fires shots at everyone from Manchester United’s board to Dalot’s first cross.

We debate whether Ruben Amorim was doomed from day one, why United fans don’t actually want progress, and how “trust the process” only exists until the table starts looking ugly. Then—just when AFCON is declared “silly”—Nigeria start cooking, Osimhen starts shouting, and suddenly football is serious business again.

From Gen Z managers, media nonsense, United nostalgia, to Super Eagles revival ball, this episode is loud, opinionated, funny, and painfully honest.

If you like your football conversations unfiltered, slightly unhinged, and very African, this one’s for you.

⏱️ Time Stamps

00:00 – Intro: “Tide came to rant”

03:10 – AFCON called “a silly tournament” after World Cup failure

07:40 – School analogy: getting cooked, then feeling like Neymar in friendlies

12:30 – United firing talk: do fans actually want progress?

18:20 – Arsenal fan accusations & Ten Hag PTSD

26:10 – Amorim: system merchant or misunderstood?

34:45 – Dalot slander reaches dangerous levels

41:30 – Why United aren’t a “trust the process” club

49:10 – Gen Z managers, media fatigue & interview meltdowns

56:40 – Who should manage United next? (Southgate debate gets spicy)

1:05:20 – AFCON quality quietly improving

1:12:00 – Nigeria’s attacking revival, Osimhen’s edge & final AFCON thoughts

1:13:04 – Outro & wrap-up