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Every AFCON Winner: Africa Cup of Nations Champions (1957–2025)

35 entries · verified 2026-07-20 · free · from the Ball IQ football team

The Africa Cup of Nations is the continent's oldest and most prestigious international football tournament, first contested in 1957 with just three teams: Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. From those modest beginnings it has grown into a 24-nation showpiece watched by hundreds of millions, staged every two years and long regarded as the toughest trophy to win outside the World Cup itself.

Egypt are the undisputed kings of the competition. The Pharaohs claimed the very first edition in 1957 and have gone on to lift the trophy a record seven times, including a hat-trick of titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Cameroon follow with five crowns, while Ghana and Nigeria have each been champions on multiple occasions. Powerhouses from every corner of the continent — from Zambia's fairytale 2012 triumph to Algeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast in the modern era — have all had their moment.

The three most recent editions each carried a quirk of the calendar and, in one case, of the courtroom. AFCON 2021 was played in early 2022 in Cameroon and won by Senegal; AFCON 2023 was played in early 2024 in Ivory Coast, where the host nation recovered from a group-stage scare to be crowned champions; and AFCON 2025, held in Morocco, ended in a contested final. Below is the full roll of honour, one row per tournament, from 1957 to the present day.

YearWinnerRunner-upHost
1957EgyptEthiopiaSudan
1959EgyptSudanEgypt
1962EthiopiaEgyptEthiopia
1963GhanaSudanGhana
1965GhanaTunisiaTunisia
1968DR CongoGhanaEthiopia
1970SudanGhanaSudan
1972CongoMaliCameroon
1974ZaireZambiaEgypt
1976MoroccoGuineaEthiopia
1978GhanaUgandaGhana
1980NigeriaAlgeriaNigeria
1982GhanaLibyaLibya
1984CameroonNigeriaIvory Coast
1986EgyptCameroonEgypt
1988CameroonNigeriaMorocco
1990AlgeriaNigeriaAlgeria
1992Ivory CoastGhanaSenegal
1994NigeriaZambiaTunisia
1996South AfricaTunisiaSouth Africa
1998EgyptSouth AfricaBurkina Faso
2000CameroonNigeriaGhana & Nigeria
2002CameroonSenegalMali
2004TunisiaMoroccoTunisia
2006EgyptIvory CoastEgypt
2008EgyptCameroonGhana
2010EgyptGhanaAngola
2012ZambiaIvory CoastGabon & Equatorial Guinea
2013NigeriaBurkina FasoSouth Africa
2015Ivory CoastGhanaEquatorial Guinea
2017CameroonEgyptGabon
2019AlgeriaSenegalEgypt
2021SenegalEgyptCameroon
2023Ivory CoastNigeriaIvory Coast
2025MoroccoSenegalMorocco

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Every AFCON Winner: Africa Cup of Nations Champions (1957–2025) — FAQ

Who has won the most AFCON titles?
Egypt are the record winners with seven titles (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010), including a unique three-in-a-row between 2006 and 2010. Cameroon are next with five, ahead of Ghana on four and Nigeria on three.
Who won AFCON 2025 in Morocco?
Morocco are the official champions of AFCON 2025, staged on home soil. The final against Senegal was marred by controversy after Senegal briefly walked off the pitch, and the CAF Appeal Board awarded Morocco a 3-0 win by forfeit in March 2026. Senegal lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but no ruling had overturned the result as of July 2026, meaning Morocco's title stands.
Why was AFCON 2021 played in 2022?
The tournament kept its official '2021' name but was pushed into January and February 2022 in Cameroon, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty of staging it during the northern-hemisphere summer. The same calendar quirk applied to AFCON 2023, which was actually played in early 2024 in Ivory Coast.
Which countries have hosted the Africa Cup of Nations more than once?
Egypt and Ghana are among the most frequent hosts, having staged the tournament several times each. Ethiopia hosted three of the early editions, while more recent host nations include Angola (2010), Gabon (2017), Cameroon (2021), Ivory Coast (2023) and Morocco (2025).