AFCON Winners: A Legacy of African Football Excellence

Introduction: Africa’s Premier Football Championship

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the main biennial international men’s association football competition in Africa, sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and first held in 1957. It is contested by national teams and is organized by the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF), making it the most prestigious football competition in Africa. The current 2025 edition is played between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026, marking the first time that the tournament is played over the Christmas and New Year period.

The Most Successful Nations

Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup’s history, winning the tournament seven times, with Cameroon winning five times and Ghana four times. Egypt, fondly known as The Pharaohs, won the inaugural trophy in 1957 and again in 1959, as well as in 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Egypt won an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

Cameroon are the competition’s second-most successful side, with five trophies in their cabinet, winning the editions held in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, and 2017. Ghana, alias the Black Stars, have won four AFCON tournament editions in 1963, 1965, 1978, and 1982.

Recent Champions and Current Tournament

Ivory Coast are the tournament’s current champions, having beaten Nigeria 2–1 in the 2023 final. This victory marked their third AFCON title, adding to previous successes in 1992 and 2015. Senegal won the tournament for the first time after defeating Egypt on penalties in the final of the 2021 edition.

In the 2025 tournament’s quarterfinals, Egypt knocked out defending champions Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal beat Mali, Nigeria defeated Algeria, and Morocco knocked out Cameroon. Senegal faced Egypt and Nigeria was matched against Morocco in the semifinals of the competition, with the final played on January 19, 2026.

Significance for African Football

A total of fifteen countries have won the cup in the tournament’s history. Eight countries have one AFCON trophy in their cabinet each: Ethiopia (1962), Sudan (1970), Congo-Brazzaville (1972), Morocco (1976), South Africa (1996), Tunisia (2004), Zambia (2012), and Senegal (2021). The tournament continues to showcase Africa’s finest footballing talent and remains a source of continental pride, uniting nations through the beautiful game.