The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is one of the continent’s most important and traditional competitions. The first edition happened 64 years ago and counted with less than a handful of teams. Decades later, many more nations have joined the competition, and a lot has happened. Let’s look at the most memorable moments of Africans’ favourite competition.
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As Time Goes By
The AFCON has grown quite impressively over the years. Its first edition could barely be called a tournament due to the lack of participants. Only three teams took part in the first edition: Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt. South Africa’s participation was cancelled as a boycott against the apartheid.
DR Congo entered the dispute in 1963. Nowadays, there are 24 teams in the competition, which also gained qualifying rounds. Check 10bet DR Congo to see the best odds of domestic football and continental competitions.
Making History
During its 64 years of existence, the AFCON had plenty of epic and unpredictable moments. As we get close to the next edition of this amazing competition, it’s good to know that 10bet is live in Africa. Check below five moments that no African fan will ever forget.
Congo vs Cameroon – 1972
The Red Devils faced the Indomitable Lions during the semi-finals of the 1972 edition. Congo wasn’t exactly a football superpower at the time, while Cameroon was an always-favourite to the title. After a winning streak, Cameroon lost to Congo by 1-0, in a game where Lions looked more sluggish than anything else.
The Red Devils went to the finals against a fearsome Mali, led by Salif Keita. Mali indeed opened the tab in the finals, only to be overturned by M’Bono, who scored twice in two minutes. Another goal was scored from which side, and the game finished 3-2 for the Red Devils, who became the most unexpected champions of that year.
Egypt’s Campaign – 1986
AFCON 1986 was just a magic edition for the Egyptian national squad. The Pharaohs started that year in disrepute after losing nearly every match of importance in the previous season. The Pharaohs lost a fair share of friendly games before the AFCON 1986. However, Egypt’s evolution during the tournament was nothing short of legendary.
In the tournament’s first match, the hosts were defeated by Senegal by 1-0. Then, things started to look up. Egypt defeated Mozambique, then Ivory Coast, one of the strongest contenders for the title. The final, against Cameroon, was decided on penalties when Cameroonian Andre Kana-Biyik missed the last shot. Over 100,000 people attended the match.
Ghana vs Ivory Coast – 1992
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Ghana and Ivory Coast staged one of the most dramatic finals on record. Ghana came from four editions on the top of the podium. On the other side, Ivory Coast was building a solid campaign. Its sturdy defence reached the last game without conceding a single goal.
Ghana defeated Nigeria but lost one of its main players, Pele, on the way. After a tiresome penalty shootout, the Elephants faced Cameroon in the semi-finals and tamed the Indomitable Lion. However, this shootout was nothing compared with what was yet to come. After a tough 90 minutes, an epic penalty shootout ensued, where all players on both sides took their chances. The final score? 9-8 to Ivory Coast.
Nigeria vs Cameroon – 2000
Victor Ikpeba had a decisive penalty disallowed in a match against Cameroon. For reasons yet unknown, the referee didn’t concede a goal, arguing the ball didn’t cross the line. Turns out it did, and by a yard. The referee, Mourad Daami, wasn’t well assisted either; his assistant in loco also missed the move, endorsing the referee’s decision.
After this rather disruptive moment, the Indomitable Lions gained momentum and became champions of that edition. The goal-line technology would still have to wait 12 years to reach the stadiums and prevent game-changing mistakes like this one.
Zambia vs Ivory Coast – 2012
The Zambian national team was having a good season and was heading to Gabon, in 1993, for the World Cup qualifiers. A disaster interrupted the plans of that squad when their aeroplane exploded mid-air, killing everyone in it. The tragedy ignited a diplomatic brawl, and the Zambian team vowed to never play in Gabon again. After 19 years of fruitless investigations, no one could find the ones responsible for the accident.
On several occasions, Zambia’s aspirations on the continental stage kept being interrupted by Nigeria. The occasion finally came in 2012, when Zambia would arrive in Gabon for yet another AFCON. The Bullets’ campaign on Gabonian soil was impeccable. In the finals, they managed to defeat all the favourites, including the Elephants, becoming champions of that edition.
