AFCON Hosting Countries History: A Complete Guide
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the premier international football tournament in Africa, featuring national teams from the continent. Since its inception in 1957, the tournament has been hosted by various countries, with each hosting nation leaving its mark on the history of the competition. In this article, we will delve into the history of AFCON hosting countries, highlighting the key facts and achievements of each host nation.
Early Years (1957-1976)
- 1957: Sudan
– The first-ever AFCON tournament was hosted by Sudan, with Egypt emerging as the inaugural champions.
1959: Egypt
– Egypt hosted the second edition of AFCON, with the hosts winning the title for the first time.- 1962: Ethiopia – Ethiopia hosted the third edition of AFCON, with Egypt claiming their second title.
- 1963: Ghana – Ghana hosted the fourth edition of AFCON, with the Republic of the Congo winning the title.
- 1965: Tunisia – Tunisia hosted the fifth edition of AFCON, with Ghana claiming their first title.
- 1968: Ethiopia – Ethiopia hosted the sixth edition of AFCON, with the hosts winning the title for the first time.
- 1970: Sudan – Sudan hosted the seventh edition of AFCON, with Sudan winning the title for the first time.
- 1972: Sudan – Sudan hosted the eighth edition of AFCON, with Congo-Kinshasa winning the title.
- 1974: Egypt – Egypt hosted the ninth edition of AFCON, with Zaire winning the title.
- 1976: Ethiopia – Ethiopia hosted the tenth edition of AFCON, with Morocco winning the title.
Middle Years (1978-2000)
- 1978: Ghana – Ghana hosted the eleventh edition of AFCON, with Ghana winning the title for the second time.
- 1980: Nigeria – Nigeria hosted the twelfth edition of AFCON, with Nigeria winning the title for the first time.
- 1982: Libya – Libya hosted the thirteenth edition of AFCON, with Ghana claiming their third title.
- 1984: Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast hosted the fourteenth edition of AFCON, with Cameroon winning the title for the first time.
- 1986: Egypt – Egypt hosted the fifteenth edition of AFCON, with Egypt winning the title for the third time.
- 1988: Morocco – Morocco hosted the sixteenth edition of AFCON, with Cameroon winning the title for the second time.
- 1990: Algeria – Algeria hosted the seventeenth edition of AFCON, with Algeria winning the title for the first time.
- 1992: Senegal – Senegal hosted the eighteenth edition of AFCON, with Ivory Coast winning the title for the first time.
- 1994: Tunisia – Tunisia hosted the nineteenth edition of AFCON, with Nigeria winning the title for the second time.
- 1996: South Africa – South Africa hosted the twentieth edition of AFCON, with Tunisia winning the title for the first time.
- 1998: Burkina Faso – Burkina Faso hosted the twenty-first edition of AFCON, with Egypt winning the title for the fourth time.
- 2000: Ghana and Nigeria – Ghana and Nigeria co-hosted the twenty-second edition of AFCON, with Cameroon winning the title for the third time.
Modern Era (2002-2020)
- 2002: Mali – Mali hosted the twenty-third edition of AFCON, with Cameroon winning the title for the fourth time.
- 2004: Tunisia – Tunisia hosted the twenty-fourth edition of AFCON, with Tunisia winning the title for the second time.
- 2006: Egypt – Egypt hosted the twenty-fifth edition of AFCON, with Egypt winning the title for the fifth time.
- 2008: Ghana – Ghana hosted the twenty-sixth edition of AFCON, with Egypt winning the title for the sixth time.
- 2010: Angola – Angola hosted the twenty-seventh edition of AFCON, with Egypt winning the title for the seventh time.
- 2012: Gabon and Equatorial Guinea – Gabon and Equatorial Guinea co-hosted the twenty-eighth edition of AFCON, with Zambia winning the title for the first time.
- 2013: South Africa – South Africa hosted the twenty-ninth edition of AFCON, with Nigeria winning the title for the third time.
- 2015: Equatorial Guinea – Equatorial Guinea hosted the thirtieth edition of AFCON, with Ivory Coast winning the title for the second time.
- 2017: Gabon – Gabon hosted the thirty-first edition of AFCON, with Cameroon winning the title for the fifth time.
- 2019: Egypt – Egypt hosted the thirty-second edition of AFCON, with Algeria winning the title for the second time.
Conclusion
The AFCON hosting countries history is a testament to the growth and development of football in Africa. Each host nation has left its mark on the tournament, with some nations winning multiple titles and others hosting the competition for the first time. As the tournament continues to grow and evolve, it will be exciting to see which countries will host the AFCON in the future.
