The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a national team tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), held every two years.
Cup History
In February 1957, the inaugural Africa Cup of Nations took place in Sudan. Egypt defeated Ethiopia in the final to become the first team to win the AFCON title. In 1968, the tournament expanded to 8 teams and introduced a qualification system for the first time. Ultimately, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) beat Ghana in the final to claim the championship. At the 1978 AFCON, Ghana defeated Uganda to win the title, becoming the first team to secure three African Cup victories. In 1992, the tournament expanded to 12 teams, with Ivory Coast defeating Ghana via penalty shootout in the final to lift the trophy. The 1998 AFCON saw further expansion to 16 teams, and Egypt defeated South Africa in the final to win the championship.
Current Situation
The 2000 Africa Cup of Nations was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, marking the first time the tournament was held by two countries. During the 2010 AFCON, the Togo national team's bus was attacked by machine gun fire from Angolan anti-government rebels, resulting in the deaths of 3 staff members and injuries to 9 others. Two days after the terrorist attack, the Togo national team announced its withdrawal from the tournament. In 2019, the AFCON expanded from 16 to 24 teams, and it was also the first time the tournament was held in the summer. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was postponed to January 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 AFCON was originally scheduled to take place from June to July 2023 but was delayed to January-February 2024 due to severe floods in several West African countries. In the final, Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria to win the title.
Cup Winners
As of 2025, Egypt tops the AFCON all-time winners' list with 7 championships, while Cameroon ranks second with 5 titles.
