AFCON Winners List Chronological Explained for Beginners
The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the premier international football tournament in Africa, held every two years. The competition features national teams from the continent, with the winner crowned the champion of African football. In this article, we will explore the AFCON winners list in chronological order, providing a brief overview of each tournament and the winning teams.
Early Years (1957-1970)
1957: Egypt
– The first-ever AFCON tournament was held in Khartoum, Sudan, with Egypt emerging as the inaugural champions.
- 1959: Sudan – The second edition was hosted by Sudan, with the hosts claiming their first title.
- 1962: Ethiopia – Ethiopia won their first AFCON title in the third edition, held in Addis Ababa.
- 1963: Ghana – Ghana became the first team to win the tournament outside their home continent, claiming the title in Addis Ababa.
- 1965: Ghana (again) – Ghana repeated their success in Tunis, Tunisia, becoming the first team to win the tournament twice.
- 1968: Congo-Kinshasa – Congo-Kinshasa won their first AFCON title in the sixth edition, held in Khartoum, Sudan.
- 1970: Sudan (again) – Sudan claimed their second title in the seventh edition, held in Khartoum, Sudan.
1970s and 1980s
- 1972: Congo-Brazzaville – Congo-Brazzaville won their first AFCON title in the eighth edition, held in Addis Ababa.
- 1974: Zaire – Zaire claimed their first title in the ninth edition, held in Addis Ababa.
- 1976: Morocco – Morocco won their first AFCON title in the tenth edition, held in Addis Ababa.
- 1978: Ghana (third time) – Ghana became the first team to win the tournament three times, claiming the title in Addis Ababa.
- 1980: Nigeria – Nigeria won their first AFCON title in the twelfth edition, held in Lagos.
- 1982: Ghana (fourth time) – Ghana repeated their success in Addis Ababa, becoming the first team to win the tournament four times.
- 1984: Cameroon – Cameroon won their first AFCON title in the fourteenth edition, held in Tangier, Morocco.
- 1986: Egypt (again) – Egypt claimed their second title in the fifteenth edition, held in Addis Ababa.
- 1988: Cameroon (again) – Cameroon repeated their success in Addis Ababa, becoming the first team to win the tournament twice.
1990s and 2000s
- 1990: Algeria – Algeria won their first AFCON title in the seventeenth edition, held in Algiers.
- 1992: Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast claimed their first title in the eighteenth edition, held in Abidjan.
- 1994: Nigeria (again) – Nigeria repeated their success in Tunis, Tunisia, becoming the first team to win the tournament three times.
- 1996: South Africa – South Africa won their first AFCON title in the twentieth edition, held in Johannesburg.
- 1998: Egypt (third time) – Egypt claimed their third title in the twenty-first edition, held in Bamako, Mali.
- 2000: Cameroon (third time) – Cameroon repeated their success in Lagos, becoming the first team to win the tournament three times.
- 2002: Cameroon (fourth time) – Cameroon claimed their fourth title in the twenty-third edition, held in Mali.
- 2004: Tunisia – Tunisia won their first AFCON title in the twenty-fourth edition, held in Tunis.
- 2006: Egypt (fourth time) – Egypt repeated their success in the Libreville, Gabon, becoming the first team to win the tournament four times.
- 2008: Egypt (fifth time) – Egypt claimed their fifth title in the twenty-sixth edition, held in Ghana.
- 2010: Egypt (sixth time) – Egypt repeated their success in Angola, becoming the first team to win the tournament six times.
- 2012: Zambia – Zambia won their first AFCON title in the twenty-eighth edition, held in Libreville, Gabon.
- 2013: Nigeria (third time) – Nigeria claimed their third title in the twenty-ninth edition, held in South Africa.
- 2015: Ivory Coast (again) – Ivory Coast repeated their success in Equatorial Guinea, becoming the first team to win the tournament twice.
- 2017: Cameroon (fifth time) – Cameroon claimed their fifth title in the thirty-first edition, held in Gabon.
- 2019: Algeria (again) – Algeria repeated their success in Egypt, becoming the first team to win the tournament twice.
From the early years to the present day, the AFCON winners list has seen many teams emerge victorious. Each tournament has its unique story, and the competition continues to grow in popularity. As we look forward to future editions, we can expect to see new teams rise to the top and challenge the dominance of the established powers.
