AFC Bournemouth Football Club: The Cherries, Their Squad and African Kick Off Times

AFC Bournemouth are an English professional football club from Bournemouth, the seaside town on England's south coast, and they play their home games at Dean Court, their home since 1910. Formed in 1899 as Boscombe and nicknamed the Cherries, they finished 6th in the Premier League in 2025-26, their highest finish at the time, and earned a first European campaign in the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League. South African readers may also know the sport as soccer.

What follows covers the Bournemouth squad by position, how to read fixtures and results from Lagos to Kampala, where matches are shown, and the story of a club that went from administration in 2008 to Europe in 2026. Ghana international Antoine Semenyo and Morocco international Amine Adli have both played for Bournemouth, connecting the Cherries with two African national teams.

Who Are AFC Bournemouth, the Cherries?

AFC Bournemouth first reached the top flight through their Championship title in 2014-15. The club began in autumn 1899 as Boscombe, growing out of Boscombe St. John's Institute FC, became Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in 1923 when it joined the Football League, and took the name AFC Bournemouth for the 1971-72 season. Because the town and the club share a name, add "football" to a search when it is the team you want.

How Is the AFC Bournemouth Squad Set Out?

Bournemouth squad lists can be read by position: goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards. Transfers can alter the group, so check the publication date when consulting a squad list. Where nationality information is available, it helps identify players listed with African nationalities. International appearances require a separate check of each player's national team record.

How Do You Follow Bournemouth Fixtures, Results and the Table From Africa?

Consult the Bournemouth fixtures list for the match you want to follow, then check its competition, venue and scheduled start. Compare the advertised time across WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT before setting a reminder. A result records the completed match score; a live score can still change before the final whistle. The Premier League table (the log, to South African readers) ranks clubs on points, with goal difference used as a tie breaker. Bournemouth's 6th place finish in 2025-26 earned entry to the 2026-27 Europa League; European qualification also depends on the places allocated for the relevant season.

Where Can You Watch Bournemouth in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Uganda?

To find a Bournemouth broadcast in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana or Uganda, consult television schedules and streaming listings for your country. Check the specific competition as well as the fixture, because one subscription may not cover every Bournemouth match. Confirm the advertised start using WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT, with any studio coverage distinguished from kick off.

From Administration to Europe: How Did Bournemouth Rise?

The modern rise runs through Eddie Howe, who returned as manager in October 2012 and left by mutual consent on 1 August 2020, after nearly eight years. In that spell Bournemouth went up from League One as runners up in 2012-13, then won the Championship in 2014-15 to reach the top flight for the first time. Their first season there, 2015-16, ended in 16th place, and they stayed for five consecutive seasons until relegation in 2020.

What stands out after 2020 is the speed of the recovery. Bournemouth returned to the Premier League in 2022, Black Knight Football Club bought the club that December, and in 2025-26 they finished 6th, their highest finish at the time, which earned a place in the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League. That was their first European qualification in well over a century of existence. In my view, that season is the defining chapter, a little like a family trader who started with one stall in Balogun Market and, one careful year at a time, ended up with a shop on Allen Avenue.

Who Runs Bournemouth, and Where Do They Play?

Black Knight Football Club, led by Bill Foley, bought AFC Bournemouth on 13 December 2022 from Maxim Demin, who had owned the club since 2011. Recruitment has been the club's great strength, and it shows in the transfer record: Bournemouth paid a reported £20 million for Nathan Aké in June 2017, a club record at the time, and have built on that model of buying players who grow in value. In my opinion, that habit is why a smaller club can sit comfortably among much richer neighbours.

Bournemouth have played at Dean Court since 1910. That long association makes the ground a central part of the club's history, including its first top flight season in 2015-16.

What Have Bournemouth Won, and How Did They Survive 2008?

Bournemouth's honours list is short, but every item on it marks a step up. They won the Associate Members' Cup in 1984, the Third Division title in 1986-87 and the Championship in 2014-15, the last of which took them into the top flight for the first time. Promotions as runners up from League Two in 2009-10 and League One in 2012-13 matter almost as much, because without them the 2015 promotion never happens. Their 6th place finish in 2025-26 set a club record at the time. The timeline below sets the whole journey out in order.

The hardest moment came in February 2008, when the club entered administration and was relegated to League Two that season. The Football League then let Bournemouth begin 2008-09 with a 17 point penalty, which meant starting the campaign well below zero while every rival began level. So, climbing three divisions in the seven seasons that followed is, in my opinion, one of the great recoveries in English football. It also explains the club's character, which is careful with money and patient with players, and it is a story any Nigerian who has rebuilt a business after a bad year will recognise.

Which African Players Have Worn the Bournemouth Shirt?

Ghana international Antoine Semenyo joined Bournemouth in January 2023. Earlier African connections included Côte d'Ivoire's Max Gradel, who returned to the club in 2015, and Benik Afobe, who joined in January 2016 and made his DR Congo debut in 2017. Burkina Faso winger Dango Ouattara arrived in January 2023, while Morocco's Amine Adli joined in August 2025.

For Nigerian readers, another connection is Dominic Solanke, whose father is Nigerian. Solanke played for Bournemouth from 2019 to 2024 and represented England at senior international level. His heritage and his international record are distinct parts of his story.

Following these players offers a way into Bournemouth's history through African national teams and family connections. When checking a squad list, distinguish a listed nationality from confirmed international appearances, and use dated player records to establish when someone represented the Cherries.

Which Bournemouth Games Matter Most, and What Time Do They Kick Off?

Bournemouth's first European qualification secured a place in the 2026-27 Europa League. Southampton provide a south coast rivalry whenever the clubs meet. For readers following an African player, the team selection and that player's role offer another reason to choose a Bournemouth fixture.

For Bournemouth followers, the clock labels match their viewing locations: Nigeria uses WAT, Kenya and Uganda use EAT, South Africa uses SAST, and Ghana uses GMT. A Bournemouth match starting at 15:00 in England during winter reaches Nigerian screens at WAT 16:00, Kenyan and Ugandan screens at EAT 18:00, South African screens at SAST 17:00 and Ghanaian screens at GMT 15:00. With British Summer Time in effect, the equivalent viewing times for a 15:00 English kick off are WAT 15:00 in Nigeria, EAT 17:00 in Kenya and Uganda, SAST 16:00 in South Africa and GMT 14:00 in Ghana. Use the date attached to Bournemouth's fixture to select the appropriate set of clocks.