AFCON Hosting Countries History: A Complete Guide
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the premier international football tournament in Africa, held every two years to determine the best national team on the continent. Since its inception in 1957, the tournament has been hosted by various countries across Africa. In this article, we will delve into the history of AFCON hosting countries, highlighting the countries that have hosted the tournament and the year they did so.
Early Years (1957-1978)
- 1957: Sudan
– The inaugural AFCON tournament was held in Khartoum, Sudan, with Egypt emerging as the first-ever champions.
1959: Egypt
– Egypt hosted the second edition of the tournament in Cairo, with Egypt claiming their second title.- 1962: Ethiopia – Ethiopia hosted the third edition of the tournament in Addis Ababa, with Ethiopia winning their first title.
- 1963: Ghana – Ghana hosted the fourth edition of the tournament in Accra, with Ghana winning their first title.
- 1965: Tunisia – Tunisia hosted the fifth edition of the tournament in Tunis, with the Republic of the Congo claiming their first title.
- 1968: Ethiopia – Ethiopia hosted the sixth edition of the tournament in Addis Ababa, with Ethiopia claiming their second title.
- 1970: Sudan – Sudan hosted the seventh edition of the tournament in Khartoum, with Sudan winning their first title.
- 1972: Cameroon – Cameroon hosted the eighth edition of the tournament in Yaoundé, with Congo-Brazzaville claiming their second title.
- 1974: Egypt – Egypt hosted the ninth edition of the tournament in Cairo, with Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) winning their first title.
- 1976: Ethiopia – Ethiopia hosted the tenth edition of the tournament in Addis Ababa, with Morocco winning their first title.
- 1978: Ghana – Ghana hosted the eleventh edition of the tournament in Accra, with Ghana winning their second title.
Middle Years (1980-2000)
- 1980: Nigeria – Nigeria hosted the twelfth edition of the tournament in Lagos, with Nigeria winning their first title.
- 1982: Libya – Libya hosted the thirteenth edition of the tournament in Tripoli, with Ghana winning their third title.
- 1984: Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast hosted the fourteenth edition of the tournament in Abidjan, with Cameroon winning their first title.
- 1986: Egypt – Egypt hosted the fifteenth edition of the tournament in Cairo, with Egypt claiming their sixth title.
- 1988: Morocco – Morocco hosted the sixteenth edition of the tournament in Casablanca, with Cameroon winning their second title.
- 1990: Algeria – Algeria hosted the seventeenth edition of the tournament in Algiers, with Algeria winning their first title.
- 1992: Senegal – Senegal hosted the eighteenth edition of the tournament in Dakar, with Ivory Coast winning their first title.
- 1994: Tunisia – Tunisia hosted the nineteenth edition of the tournament in Tunis, with Nigeria winning their second title.
- 1996: South Africa – South Africa hosted the twentieth edition of the tournament in Johannesburg, with Egypt winning their seventh title.
- 1998: Burkina Faso – Burkina Faso hosted the twenty-first edition of the tournament in Ouagadougou, with Egypt winning their eighth title.
- 2000: Ghana and Nigeria – Ghana and Nigeria co-hosted the twenty-second edition of the tournament in Accra and Lagos, with Cameroon winning their third title.
Modern Era (2002-2023)
- 2002: Mali – Mali hosted the twenty-third edition of the tournament in Bamako, with Cameroon winning their fourth title.
- 2004: Tunisia – Tunisia hosted the twenty-fourth edition of the tournament in Tunis, with Tunisia winning their first title.
- 2006: Egypt – Egypt hosted the twenty-fifth edition of the tournament in Cairo, with Egypt winning their ninth title.
- 2008: Ghana – Ghana hosted the twenty-sixth edition of the tournament in Accra, with Egypt winning their tenth title.
- 2010: Angola – Angola hosted the twenty-seventh edition of the tournament in Luanda, with Egypt winning their eleventh title.
- 2012: Gabon and Equatorial Guinea – Gabon and Equatorial Guinea co-hosted the twenty-eighth edition of the tournament in Libreville and Malabo, with Zambia winning their first title.
- 2013: South Africa – South Africa hosted the twenty-ninth edition of the tournament in Johannesburg, with Nigeria winning their third title.
- 2015: Equatorial Guinea – Equatorial Guinea hosted the thirtieth edition of the tournament in Malabo, with Ivory Coast winning their second title.
- 2017: Gabon – Gabon hosted the thirty-first edition of the tournament in Libreville, with Cameroon winning their fifth title.
- 2019: Egypt – Egypt hosted the thirty-second edition of the tournament in Cairo, with Algeria winning their second title.
- 2021: Cameroon – Cameroon hosted the thirty-third edition of the tournament in Yaoundé and Douala, with Senegal winning their first title.
- 2023: Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast hosted the thirty-fourth edition of the tournament in Abidjan, with Senegal winning their second title.
The history of AFCON hosting countries is a rich and diverse one, with various countries across Africa having the opportunity to showcase their hospitality and football prowess. From the inaugural tournament in Sudan in 1957 to the most recent edition in Ivory Coast in 2023, the AFCON has grown in popularity and prestige, cementing its place as one of the most important international football tournaments in the world.
