The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) stands as the pinnacle of footballing excellence on the continent, and out of the 54 nations in Africa, only 15 have claimed victory in this continental spectacle.
The Pharaohs of Egypt lead the pack with an impressive seven titles, followed closely in second place by Cameroon with five titles, while the Black Stars of Ghana claim the third spot with four titles. Nigeria stands in fourth place with three titles, and tied for fifth place with two titles each are Ivory Coast, Algeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The AFCON has witnessed unforgettable excitement and memorable moments across its prestigious 33 tournaments, and as we approach the 34th edition scheduled for Ivory Coast in 2024, Afrosport reflects on the standout AFCON tournaments from 2000 to 2021.
AFCON 2002 – Hosts: Mali | Champions: Cameroon
The 2002 AFCON in Mali is one of the most competitive football tournaments in the history of the competition. Hosted by Mali, it had 16 teams jostling for the top spot, with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon crowned as the eventual winners, beating Senegal 3-2 on penalties after a goalless stalemate in regulation time at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako.
The tournament saw 32 matches played and 48 goals scored at a rate of 1.5 goals per game. Although this number was the lowest of any AFCON tournament between 2000 and 2017, when it stopped being a 16-nation competition, it showed the competitive nature each team brought along with them.
Nigeria’s Julius Aghahowa and the Cameroon duo of Patrick Mboma and Salomon Olembe won the Golden Boot with three goals apiece, while iconic defender and current head coach of the Indomitable Lions, Rigobert Song, won the Player of the Tournament award after leading his side to triumph with a defence that didn’t concede a single goal all tournament.
The final of the competition was a blockbuster one between Cameroon and Senegal, with both teams enduring each other’s attack and having to settle for penalties. The Cameroonians, donning their fashionable and iconic sleeveless shirt, proved too much for the Teranga Lions to win their fourth title and second in a row, with goalkeeper Alioum Boukar saving two of Senegal’s spot kicks while 21-year-old El Hadj Diouf hit his wide.
AFCON 2008 – Hosts: Ghana | Champions: Egypt
The 2008 AFCON, hosted by Ghana, was the second time the competition was held on West African soil in four editions, and it was an all-round success for Egypt as they clinched their sixth title and their second consecutive one.
The tournament provided goals everywhere, with 99 scored across 32 matches. It also ensured fans witnessed two of the best matches in the history of the AFCON: the famous “jollof derby” between hosts Ghana and Nigeria in the quarterfinals and the breathtaking showdown in the final between Egypt and Cameroon.
The Black Stars edged Nigeria 2-1 in a match that encapsulated the rivalry between the two West African neighbours, with the late Manuel Junior Agogo settling the tie with a late goal in the second half.
In the final, goalkeeping brilliance from Cameroon’s Carlos Kameni and arguably Africa’s greatest goalkeeper, Essam El-Hadary, kept the tie pulsating and nail-biting, but Mohamed Aboutrika had other ideas as his 77th-minute strike sealed victory for the Pharaohs.
Former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward Samuel Eto’o won the Golden Boot—his second consecutive one—with his tournament-leading five goals, while Hosny Abd Rabo, Egypt’s No. 8, won the Player of the Tournament award.
AFCON 2013 – Hosts: South Africa | Champions: Nigeria
The 2013 edition of the AFCON was special as it was the first to be held in an odd number years for 48 years, with the aim of preventing the competition from clashing with the FIFA World Cup. It also marked the first time the tournament was held in back-to-back years since 1962–63.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria won this edition, putting an end to their 19-year drought, with a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in the final at the Soccer City Stadium thanks to a fantastic solo goal from Sunday Mba, one of the unsung heroes of the tournament.
69 goals were scored, with the highest-scoring game being Nigeria’s 4-1 thrashing of Mali in the semi-finals. The Eagles also played arguably the biggest game of the edition, a quarter-final tie against tournament favourites Ivory Coast, which they won 2-1, with Mba claiming the winner for Stephen Keshi’s men with his second half finish.
Nigeria’s Emmanuel Emenike finished as top scorer with four goals and three assists, Vincent Enyeama won the best goalkeeper award, while Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa, another gem that the competition produced, won the Player of the Tournament award. Honorable mentions in this edition of the AFCON include fan favorite and Burkinabe forward Aristide Bancé, Alain Traore, and Nigeria’s Victor Moses.
AFCON 2012 – Hosts: Equatorial Guinea and Gabon | Champions: Zambia
Everyone loves an underdog story, and that was what the 2012 AFCON produced. The Chipolopolos of Zambia won the tournament to lift their first ever AFCON title in an unimaginable fashion that left the African football world both speechless and motivated.
Having previously finished second twice and third on three occasions, Zambia came into the 2012 tournament with one quarter-final finish, five group stage finishes, and one failed qualification. However, their fortunes changed quickly, going unbeaten in all six games to edge their name in African football folklore.
Led by Frenchman Herve Renard, they rose to the echelon of football on the continent 19 years after the 1993 tragedy where the national team’s plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving Kalusha Bwalya as the sole survivor from that team.
Claiming the 28th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations was not an easy feat for the Chipolopolos, but they started off brightly, claiming seven points from their group, going on to beat Sudan in the last eight, shocking Ghana 1-0 in the semi-finals, before capping off their fairytale run with a victory over Ivory Coast in the final after a penalty shootout.
76 goals were scored in total in the competition, with Zambia’s Emmanuel Mayuka winning the Golden Boot despite finishing on three goals with six other players, including Didier Drogba and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Christopher Katongo, Zambia’s leader and captain, won the tournament’s Best Player award.
AFCON 2015 – Hosts: Equatorial Guinea | Champions: Ivory Coast
Success, they said, belongs to the one that never gives up, and the 2015 edition of the AFCON embodies this saying as Ivory Coast rose from their 2012 and 2013 disappointments to lift the nation’s second title and their first since 1992.
Held in Equatorial Guinea for the second time in three editions, the AFCON began as it was meant to continue with a tightly contested 1-1 draw between the hosts and Congo as Thievy Bifouma’s effort three minutes from stoppage time cancelled out Emilio Nsue’s opener.
Sixty-six more goals were recorded in the Central African nation, with Ghana’s Andre Ayew claiming the title of top scorer. Although he was tied for three goals with five others, his two assists set him apart from the rest.
Late Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu announced himself onto the African scene, winning the Player of the Tournament award along with the Best Goal Award for his wonder strike against Guinea in the quarterfinals.
Ivory Coast, now led by their 2012 nemesis, Herve Renard, started the tournament poorly with two draws and a win in the group stage. However, their champion mentality shone in the knockout phases, claiming comfortable 3-1 victories over Algeria and DR Congo in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
The final is one that will forever live in the minds of many African football fans, as it lived up to its billing of being an exhilarating encounter. The Estadio de Bata was the venue as two of the continent’s best teams locked horns. Ghana could have won it in regulation time, but Atsu and Ayew were both denied by the post in the first half after Yaya Toure’s freekick was saved by Ghana’s goalkeeper Brimah Razak.
The penalty shootout was reminiscent of the 2002 AFCON, as it provided drama and edge-of-the-seat action. Ghana raced to a 2-0 lead, and the ghost of 2012 came close to hunting Ivory Coast one more time. However, veteran goalkeeper Boubacar Barry had other ideas, as he saved two penalties and scored the winning spot kick to give the Elephants a 9-8 win.
