In Bandiagara, Mali, a boy wears an Italian football shirt. His own country reached the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shoot-out against hosts Gabon, but lost out to favourites Cote d'Ivoire.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1918/Pirozzi
In Zambia, 18-month-old Felix is playing with a football in Lusaka, the capital. Felix has just tested negative on his 18-month HIV test. UNICEF uses sport to help educate children about HIV and AIDS. Zambia overcame favourites Cite d'Ivoire to win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-2884/Nesbitt Zambia, 2010
Girls play football during playtime at a UNICEF-supported school in Juba, South Sudan. The ball is from a UNICEF recreation kit containing sports equipment and games.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2007-0878/Cranston
Boys play football at a child-friendly space in a transit camp on the Tunisian-Libyan border for families displaced by the 2011 conflict in Libya. Being able to play helps children cope with the disruption and trauma of conflict.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0672/Youssef
In Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, boys play football at a UNICEF-supported children's centre. Their national team were favourites to win this year's Africa Cup of Nations, but lost out to Zambia in a thrilling penalty shoot out.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0652/Asselin
These girls are playing at their secondary school in northern Ghana, where UNICEF helps provide child-centred teacher training and HIV/AIDS education for children. Ghana face Mali in a third-place play off in this year's Africa Cup of Nations, after a surprise semi-final defeat to Zambia.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2007-0921/Asselin
These boys are playing football at a primary school in Bignona in south-west Senegal. Education and early child development is an important part of our work there.
Senegal has a proud history in international football but sadly this year the team finished bottom of their group at the Africa Cup of Nations.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2007-1032/Olivier Asselin
