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Guide to Nicknames
GUIDE TO NICKNAMES

Do you know some nicknames that I don't? If your answer is in the affirmative, tell me, and help inform the world!

UEFA
BelgiumDiables Rouges
CroatiaFiery Eleven
DenmarkDanish Dynamite
EnglandThree Lions
Franceles Bleus
Rep IrelandBoys in Green
ItalyAzzurri
NetherlandsOranje
PolandBialoczerwoni
Spainla Furia Roja
SwedenTre Kronan
CAF
AlgeriaDesert Warriors
BeninSquirrels
Burkina FasoStallions
CameroonIndomitable Lions
CongoRed Devils
Congo DRSimbas
Côte d'IvoireElephants
EgyptPharaohs
GabonPanthers
GambiaScorpions
GhanaBlack Stars
KenyaHarambee Stars
LesothoLikoena
LiberiaLone Star
MadagascarMalagasy
MalawiFlames
MaliEagles
MoroccoAtlas Lions
MozambiqueMambas
NamibiaBrave Warriors
NigeriaSuper Eagles
SenegalLions
Sierra LeoneLeone Stars
South AfricaBafana Bafana
SwazilandSihlangu
TogoHawks
TunisiaCarthage Eagles
UgandaCranes
ZambiaChipolopolo
ZimbabweWarriors
CONMEBOL
ArgentinaAlbiceleste
BrazilVerdeamarelhos
Chilela Roja
ColombiaCafeteros
PeruIncas
UruguayCharrúas
VenezuelaVinotinto
AFC
SingaporeLions
CONCACAF
BarbadosBajan Rockets
CanadaMaple Leafs
Costa RicaTicos
El SalvadorGuanacos
GrenadaSpice Boyz
GuatemalaChapines
HondurasCatrachos
JamaicaReggae Boyz
MexicoTricolores
PanamaCañaleros
Trinidad-TobagoSoca Warriors
OFC
AustraliaSocceroos
New ZealandAll Whites

EXPLANATIONS
Some of these owe themselves to explanations. The coloured ones [Diables Rouges, Azzurri, Vinotinto, All Whites, ...] come from the team uniforms. The Three Lions are so named because their uniforms contain the emblem of the Football Association, which depicts [you guessed it] three lions. A few, like the Black Stars, the Lone Star, and the Tricolores, originate from their respective nations' flags. The Pharaohs, the Cafeteros, the Reggae Boyz, and the Cañaleros were all named for things with which their respective nations are typically identified. Mambas are a type of snake, and "Chipolopolo" means "bullets". I'm still trying to figure out what the "Catrachos" are supposed to be.

THANKS TO
My pal Romeo Ahohe informed me that Benin's national side are the Squirrels. Meanwhile, in a fun article that appeared on Internetsoccer.com, Peter Auf Der Heyde identified the names of many African sides. "J-D" was able to convince me that the Maple Leafs of Canada is in fact a valid nickname. "Alphayo" of Kenya dug up a few of the European names on a message board somewhere. The rest have been culled from my perusings of soccer news articles.