The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the main international men’s football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and was first held in 1957. Since then, it has been held every two years, with the exception of odd years from 2013-2017. The African Cup of Nations is the third oldest active continental football competition after the Copa America and the European Championship.
Some quick facts about the African Cup of Nations:
– Which country has won the tournament the most times? Egypt, with 7 titles.
– How many different countries have won the AFCON? 10 different countries have lifted the trophy.
– Which country won the last AFCON in 2021? Senegal won their first ever title in 2021.
– Which country hosted the most AFCON tournaments? Egypt, with 5 editions held there.
Brief History
The idea of a pan-African football tournament was first conceived by Joseph Rimet, the FIFA president at the time, in June 1956. The first African Cup of Nations tournament was held in Khartoum, Sudan in February 1957. Only three countries participated in this inaugural AFCON: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Egypt went on to win this tournament after defeating hosts Sudan in the final.
The competition grew steadily through the years, with an increasing number of African countries gaining independence and joining the Confederation of African Football. More countries were able to participate and qualify for each successive tournament. From 1968 onwards, the African Cup of Nations has been held every two years.
Major changes were introduced for the 2019 edition in Egypt. The tournament was expanded from 16 to 24 teams, allowing more countries to qualify. The timing was also shifted from January/February to June/July, to avoid clashing with club football seasons in Europe where many African players are based.
AFCON Title Wins by Country
Here is a summary of which countries have won the African Cup of Nations and how many titles they have:
| Country | Number of AFCON Wins | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 7 | 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010 |
| Cameroon | 5 | 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017 |
| Ghana | 4 | 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 1980, 1994, 2013 |
| DR Congo | 2 | 1968, 1974 |
| Ivory Coast | 2 | 1992, 2015 |
| Algeria | 2 | 1990, 2019 |
| Morocco | 1 | 1976 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 2004 |
| Senegal | 1 | 2021 |
As shown above, the most successful country by far is Egypt with 7 African Cup of Nations titles spanning from 1957 to 2010. Cameroon is next with 5 titles between 1984 and 2017. Ghana and Nigeria are tied at 3 wins each.
In total, 10 different nations have won the AFCON since its inception in 1957. The recent 2021 edition saw first-time champions in Senegal.
Egypt’s Record 7 Wins
Egypt dominated the early decades of the African Cup of Nations, inspired by star players such as Mahmoud El Khatib. The Pharaohs won the first ever AFCON hosted on home soil in 1957. They retained the title two years later in 1959, again beating Sudan in the final.
After some fallow years, Egypt re-emerged as a force in the 1980s. Led by the prolific goalscorer Mahmoud Al Khatib, they lifted the trophy on home soil again in 1986.
The Egyptians established themselves as the top African team leading up to the turn of the millennium. They won three straight continental titles in 1998, 2006, and 2008. The core of the all-conquering Egypt team featured the attacking duo of Ahmed Hassan and Hossam Hassan, cementing their legacies as football legends.
Egypt’s most recent success came in the 2010 edition when they defeated Ghana 1-0 in the final in Angola. This marked their record-extending 7th African Cup of Nations triumph.
Cameroon’s 5 Titles
Cameroon emerged as serious challengers to Egypt’s dominance in the 1980s. They had to wait until 1984 to claim their first AFCON title, beating Nigeria 3-1 in the final.
The Indomitable Lions retained the trophy four years later in 1988 after defeating Nigeria again 1-0 in the final. Liberian star George Weah was the player of the tournament but ended up on the losing side.
After failing to qualify in 1996, Cameroon returned to form by winning two titles in five years. They narrowly beat Nigeria on penalties in the 2000 final, before defending the title successfully in Mali 2002 by beating Senegal 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
In 2017, Cameroon staged and won their fifth AFCON championship. They defeated seven-time champions Egypt 2-1 in a tense final in Libreville to draw level with the Pharaohs’ record haul of titles at the time.
Ghana’s 4 Titles
Ghana became the first nation other than Egypt to be crowned African champions when they won the 1963 edition on home soil. The Black Stars beat Sudan 3-0 in the final.
The Ghanaians retained the AFCON trophy two years later in Tunisia 1965 after beating hosts Tunisia 3-2 in extra time.
Ghana enjoyed a strong period through the 1970s under coach Charles Gyamfi. The brilliant team of the late ’70s won the AFCON twice in 1978 and 1982. A 3-0 whipping of Uganda in the 1978 final marked their third continental title.
The final title came in 1982 when Ghana defeated hosts Libya 7-6 on penalties in the final after a 1-1 draw. This AFCON-winning generation included star midfielder Abedi “Pele” Ayew, regarded as one of Africa’s greatest ever players.
Nigeria’s 3 Victories
Nigeria had to wait until their eighth AFCON appearance to lift their first title. They finally broke their duck in 1980, beating Algeria 3-0 in the final in Lagos through goals from Odegbami and Muda Lawal.
After losses in the 1984 and 1988 finals to Cameroon, Nigeria claimed their second AFCON in 1994. They convincingly defeated Zambia 2-1 in the final in Tunisia.
Nigeria went on to win their most recent AFCON championship in 2013. The Super Eagles edged Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final in South Africa, thanks to a Sunday Mba goal.
DR Congo’s Back-to-Back Wins
The DR Congo team of the late 1960s and early 70s was one of the strongest African sides of the era. They finished third in 1968 before going on to win their first AFCON title in Ethiopia in 1968.
The Leopards retained the trophy in Egypt 1974 to make it back-to-back AFCON triumphs. Fronted by attacking stars Jean N’Dinga Mbou (in 1968) and Tshimen Bwanga (in 1974), the Congolese side overcame more fancied opposition in both finals.
DR Congo have not added to their AFCON title tally since. Political instability and civil conflict disrupted football in the country through the late 20th century.
Ivory Coast’s Recent Success
Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) were one of Africa’s strongest teams in the 1990s and 2000s. But it took until 1992 to claim their first AFCON crown when they beat Ghana 11-10 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in Senegal.
The golden generation featuring Yaya and Kolo Toure, Didier Drogba and Didier Zokora came agonizingly close in the 2000s. Ivory Coast lost the 2006 and 2012 finals to Egypt and Zambia respectively.
Finally, in Equatorial Guinea 2015, Ivory Coast triumphed. After a 0-0 draw they defeated Ghana 9-8 on penalties, gaining sweet revenge and their second AFCON title.
Algeria Ends Wait in 2019
Algeria had only one African Cup of Nations trophy to their name prior to 2019. Their first title came in 1990 on home soil when they beat Nigeria 1-0 in the final courtesy of a Cherif Oudjani goal.
Despite producing many great players over the years like Lakhdar Belloumi, Salah Assad and Riyad Mahrez, it took Algeria nearly 30 years to double their AFCON title haul.
Finally in Egypt 2019, Algeria sealed their second continental crown. They edged Senegal 1-0 in the final thanks to a fortuitous second minute goal from Baghdad Bounedjah.
Morocco’s Triumph in 1976
Morocco became the first North African country to win the AFCON in 1976. They hosted that year’s tournament and swept to the title without conceding a single goal.
The Moroccans defeated Guinea 3-1 in the final in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ahmed Faras scored two goals as Morocco upset a Guinea side captained by the legendary Nwankwo Kanu.
Despite producing many talented teams and players over the next four decades, Morocco have been unable to add to their solitary AFCON title won in 1976.
Tunisia Ends Host Nation Curse in 2004
Tunisia finally broke its AFCON host nation curse by winning the 2004 edition. The North Africans had hosted the tournament four times previously (in 1965, 1994, 1998 and 2001) without ever managing to win the trophy.
This changed in 2004 when Tunisia, inspired by playmaker Francileudo Dos Santos, topped their group before beating Nigeria, Senegal and Morocco in the knockout stage. A 2-1 victory over Morocco in the final sealed Tunisia’s first AFCON championship.
Tunisia would have to wait at least another 15 years before getting their hands on the trophy for the second time.
Senegal’s Maiden Triumph in 2021
Perennial underachievers Senegal finally won their first ever African Cup of Nations title in 2021. They had lost two previous finals in 2002 and 2019.
Senegal dominated the 2021 tournament hosted by Cameroon and went undefeated in all seven matches. They faced Egypt again in the final and triumphed 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, gaining revenge for the loss two years earlier.
The tournament win was the highlight of a memorable year for Senegalese football. Later in 2022 they qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, giving them a chance to make more history.
Conclusion
In the 65-year history of the African Cup of Nations, the tournament has been won by 10 different nations. The honor roll is led by Egypt with 7 titles, followed by Cameroon and Ghana tied with 5 and 4 wins respectively. Nigeria, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal have won between 1 and 3 AFCON trophies each.
After years of domination by North and West African countries, it has taken until 2021 for a Southern African nation (Senegal) to finally join the winner’s club. While the continent’s football power balance remains weighted towards the North, fans will hope that Senegal’s victory could herald the dawn of a new era.
With expansion to 24 teams allowing more countries to get a taste of AFCON competition, the next decade could bring a broader spread of champions. Will any of the debutants from 2019 like Madagascar or Mauritania one day push for a place among the African Cup of Nations elite? Time will tell!
