The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a captivating tournament, with a rich history that has produced countless unforgettable moments over nearly 70 years of competition.
Learn more — AFCON 2025 schedule and results
As Africa’s premier football tournament, AFCON remains unpredictable, with even legendary players like Mohamed Salah and Didier Drogba failing to secure the championship title.
However, Salah still has a chance to etch his name in history as he leads Egypt in their pursuit of glory at AFCON 2025.
Here’s a glimpse into the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Upcoming AFCON Tournaments
The AFCON 2027 tournament will be held in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda during June and July of 2027. This will be the last AFCON before the tournament shifts to a quadrennial schedule beginning in 2028.
The 2028 tournament is anticipated to take place in the summer, with the host nation yet to be decided. Several countries are vying to host tournaments between 2028 and 2036, including Angola, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Morocco, and Egypt.
Most AFCON Titles
Egypt holds the record for the most AFCON titles, having won the championship 7 times and appearing in 10 finals.
Here’s a list of the all-time champions, along with explanations for how CAF recognizes renamed winners:
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Egypt: 7 (including one as the United Arab Republic in 1959)
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DR Congo: 2 (as Congo-Kinshasa in 1968 and as Zaire in 1974)
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Congo: 1 (as PR Congo in 1972)
Top Scorers in AFCON History
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Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon — 18 goals in 29 matches
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Laurent Pokou, Ivory Coast — 14 goals in 12 matches
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Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria — 13 goals in 20 matches
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Hassan El-Shazly, Egypt — 12 goals in 8 matches
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Patrick Mboma, Cameroon — 11 goals in 17 matches
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Hossam Hassan, Egypt — 11 goals in 21 matches
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Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast — 11 goals in 24 matches
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Ndaye Mulamba, DR Congo — 10 goals in 10 matches
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Francileudo Santos, Tunisia — 10 goals in 12 matches
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Joel Tiehl, Ivory Coast — 10 goals in 15 matches
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Mengistu Worku, Ethiopia — 10 goals in 17 matches
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Kalusha Bwalya, Zambia — 10 goals in 23 matches
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Sadio Mane, Senegal — 10 goals in 23 matches
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Andre Ayew, Ghana — 10 goals in 36 matches
Other notable scorers include Mohamed Salah (Egypt) with 9 goals, Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) also with 9, Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) with 9, Asamoah Gyan (Ghana) with 8, and several others.
AFCON All-Time Finals and Winners
The following is a list of the Africa Cup of Nations finals and winners:
1957: Egypt defeated Ethiopia 4-0 in Sudan
1959: United Arab Republic won round-robin tournament in United Arab Republic
1962: Ethiopia defeated United Arab Republic 4-2 (aet) in Ethiopia
1963: Ghana defeated Sudan 3-0 in Ghana
1965: Ghana defeated Tunisia 3-2 (aet) in Tunisia
1968: Congo-Kinshasa defeated Ghana 1-0 in Ethiopia
1970: Sudan defeated Ghana 1-0 in Sudan
1972: PR Congo defeated Mali 3-2 in Cameroon
1974: Zaire defeated Zambia 2-2, 2-0 (replay) in Egypt
1976: Morocco won round-robin tournament in Ethiopia
1978: Ghana defeated Uganda 2-0 in Ghana
1980: Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-0 in Nigeria
1982: Ghana defeated Libya 1-1 (7-6 pens) in Libya
1984: Cameroon defeated Nigeria 3-1 in Ivory Coast
1986: Egypt defeated Cameroon 0-0 (5-4 pens) in Egypt
1988: Cameroon defeated Nigeria 1-0 in Morocco
1990: Algeria defeated Nigeria 1-0 in Algeria
1992: Ivory Coast defeated Ghana 0-0 (11-10 pens) in Senegal
1994: Nigeria defeated Zambia 2-1 in Tunisia
1996: South Africa defeated Tunisia 2-0 in South Africa
1998: Egypt defeated South Africa 2-0 in Burkina Faso
2000: Cameroon defeated Nigeria 2-2 (4-3 pens) in Nigeria
2002: Cameroon defeated Senegal 0-0 (3-2 pens) in Mali
2004: Tunisia defeated Morocco 2-1 in Tunisia
2006: Egypt defeated Ivory Coast 0-0 (4-2 pens) in Egypt
2008: Egypt defeated Cameroon 1-0 in Ghana
2010: Egypt defeated Ghana 1-0 in Angola
2012: Zambia defeated Ivory Coast 0-0 (8-7 pens) in Gabon
2013: Nigeria defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 in South Africa
2015: Ivory Coast defeated Ghana 0-0 (9-8 pens) in Equatorial Guinea
2017: Cameroon defeated Egypt 2-1 in Gabon
2019: Algeria defeated Senegal 1-0 in Egypt
2021: Senegal defeated Egypt 0-0 (4-2 pens) in Cameroon
2023: Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria 2-1 in Ivory Coast
2025: In progress in Morocco