Held every two years, the Africa Cup of Nations first took place back in 1957. Since then, the competition has seen some phenomenal underdog stories and witnessed iconic performances from all-time great players.
While the UK is weighing up the Premier League and FA Cup in Football betting odds at the start of the calendar year, the opportunity to get stuck into an international tournament is much-appreciated for fans around the world.
All knockout football presents challenges from a betting perspective. AFCON is no different, and the tournament is arguably trickier to predict than its peers in Europe and South America. Plenty of teams enter each edition believing they have a real shot at glory.
Here’s a run down of the history of AFCON winners that may help punters when making their 2024 Africa Cup Of Nations predictions...
Who Won The First Africa Cup of Nations?
Egypt were the winners of the first ever Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Ethiopia 4-0 in the final in 1957.
Only three teams competed in the inaugural tournament, with South Africa being disqualified due to apartheid.
Mohamed Diab Al-Attar scored all four of Egypt’s goals in the final after netting the winner against hosts Sudan in the semi-final.
Most Successful AFCON Teams
Egypt are the most successful team in AFCON history, with seven titles to their name ahead of the 2024 edition.
Winners in 1957, and then in 1959 as part of the United Arab Republic, Egypt had to wait until 1986 for their third title, before adding a fifth 12 years later.
They are also the only country to win three consecutive AFCON tournaments, going back-to-back-to-back in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Since those triumphs, they have lost the final on two occasions.
Unsurprisingly, Egypt are also the most successful overall AFCON team. They have competed in a record 25 editions, winning the most matches (60) and scoring the most goals (168).
Most Appearances in AFCON Final
Winners on seven occasions and runners-up thrice, Egypt’s 10 final appearances are the most of any nation. Ghana follow close behind with nine finals, the most recent of which was defeat to Ivory Coast in 2015.
Cameroon are the second-most successful team in tournament history with five titles. They have lost only two finals, however, meaning Ghana have reached the final match of the tournament more often.
Nigeria are tied with Cameroon on seven final appearances, but the Super Eagles have lifted the trophy on just three occasions.
Africa Cup Of Nations Winners List
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1957 – Egypt
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1959 – United Arab Republic
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1962 – Ethiopia
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1963 – Ghana
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1965 – Ghana
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1968 – DR Congo
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1970 – Sudan
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1972 – PR Congo
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1974 – Zaire
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1976 – Morocco
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1978 – Ghana
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1980 – Nigeria
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1982 – Ghana
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1984 – Cameroon
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1986 – Egypt
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1988 – Cameroon
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1990 – Algeria
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1992 – Ivory Coast
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1994 – Nigeria
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1996 – South Africa
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1998 – Egypt
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2000 – Cameroon
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2002 – Cameroon
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2004 – Tunisia
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2006 – Egypt
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2008 – Egypt
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2010 – Egypt
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2012 – Zambia
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2013 – Nigeria
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2015 – Ivory Coast
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2017 – Cameroon
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2019 – Algeria
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2021 – Senegal
Has Morocco ever won AFCON?
Yes, Morocco won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1976.
While Morocco has produced numerous high-profile footballers, their success in AFCON has been relatively limited, with just two appearances in the final.
How many times has Nigeria won AFCON?
Nigeria are three-time winners of AFCON, and have reached the semi-finals on 15 occasions. A perennial force in African football, the Super Eagles have fallen off a little in recent years, but they still possess plenty of talent.
Plenty of Nigerians have flourished in the Premier League. They failed to quality in 2012, 2013 and 2015, however, and their round of 16 elimination in 2021 was their worst performance at an AFCON tournament since they were knocked out at the group stage in 1982.
Worst AFCON Performances By Host Nations
Host nations have often enjoyed success at AFCON. The host team has reached the final on 14 occasions throughout the tournament’s history.
Success for the home team has been less frequent over the last couple of decades – you have to go back to 2006 for the last time the hosts played in the final.
Ethiopia in 1976, Ivory Coast in 1984, Tunisia in 1994, and Gabon in 2017 are the only hosts to be eliminated in the group stage.
Who Has Scored The Most Africa Cup Of Nations Goals?
Samuel Eto’o has scored the most AFCON goals with 18 to his name across 29 appearances.
The former Barcelona and Inter striker appeared in six tournaments for Cameroon, and was part of victorious campaigns in both 2000 and 2002.
It was 2006 and 2008 when Eto’o finished as top goal scorer in AFCON, though, with five goals in each tournament.
Eto’o’s six tournaments with a goal is also a joint record, also held by Andre Ayew, Asamoah Gyan and Kalusha Bwalya.
Who has appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations most?
Cameroon’s Rigobert Song and Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan share the record of most AFCON appearances, having each featured in eight tournaments.
Both players appeared in every tournament between 1996 and 2010. Song was a two-time AFCON winner, while Hassan won four finals, including the threepeat between 2006 and 2010.
Best players to not win AFCON
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George Weah
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Michael Essien
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Didier Drogba
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El-Hadji Diouf
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Nwankwo Kanu
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Osei Kuffour
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Frederic Kanoute
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Emmanuel Adebayor
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
