African football has stepped into a new decade, so ESPN remembers the defining moments of the past 10 years.

The Hand of Suarez

African football entered the previous decade upon a wave of optimism and amidst talk of a 'new dawn', with the continent set to host its first World Cup in 2010.

South Africa got the nod, and opened the tournament in some style - with Siphiwe Tshabalala's unforgettable thunderbolt against Mexico - but in truth, Africa's challengers largely fell short of the expectations...

Zambia's impressive displays in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers generated genuine hope that the good times would soon be back for the 2012 African champions, and the arrival of Sven Vandenbroeck was expected to further accelerate the team's revival.

As the Southern Africans survey the wreckage in the aftermath of yet another crushing exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, however, it is not easy to escape the conclusion that Vandenbroeck's appointment in July actually precipitated Zambia's stunning...