Africa Cup of Nations

History

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was founded in 1957, with its first edition held in Khartoum, Sudan, between just three national teams — Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia — after South Africa was excluded over its apartheid policy. Egypt, winners of that first edition, remain today's most successful nation with a record 7 titles, including a historic hat-trick in 2006, 2008, and 2010, ahead of Cameroon (5 titles) and Ghana (4 titles). The 2025 edition, hosted by Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, ended in unprecedented controversy. After a final marked by several contested refereeing decisions — including a disallowed Senegalese goal and a penalty awarded to Morocco in stoppage time — Senegal's players walked off the pitch in protest before returning to complete the match, which they won 1-0 after extra time through a Pape Gueye goal. However, on 17 March 2026, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match for failing to return to the pitch within the allotted time, awarding the win (3-0) and the title to Morocco, crowned for the second time in their history after 1976. Senegal strongly reject the ruling, have lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and continue to present the trophy to their fans while the case remains pending.

Trophy roll

• Egypt — 7 titles in total, the competition record, including a hat-trick in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
• Cameroon — 5 titles.
• Ghana — 4 titles.
• Morocco — 2 titles (1976 and 2025 per CAF's ruling), the second crown still contested by Senegal at CAS.
• Senegal — Winners on the pitch of the 2025 final (1-0 after extra time), later stripped of the title in favor of Morocco — a decision under appeal at CAS.

Competition format

Frequently asked questions