Key Highlights and Insights About the Africa Cup of Nations

As the kickoff date for the 2023 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations approaches, here are some intriguing facts about this highly anticipated football tournament on the African continent.

1. Historical Beginnings: The first AFCON tournament took place in Sudan in 1957, with only three countries participating—Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. There was no qualifying competition at that time.

2. South Africa's Exclusion: South Africa was initially invited to the first AFCON in 1957 but withdrew due to apartheid laws.

3. Egypt's Early Dominance: Egypt emerged victorious in the inaugural AFCON in 1957, defeating Ethiopia 4-0 in the final.

4. Cote d'Ivoire's Hosting History: Cote d'Ivoire is hosting the AFCON for the second time, with the first hosting taking place in 1984.

5. Most AFCON Titles: Egypt holds the record for the most AFCON titles (seven), followed by Cameroon (five), Ghana (four), and Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ivory Coast (two each).

6. Legendary Scorers: Samuel Eto'o is the leading overall AFCON scorer with 18 goals. Egypt's Hassan El-Shazly holds the record for multiple hat-tricks.

7. Tournament Expansion: The AFCON has expanded from a 16-team to a 24-team event since 2019, and this will be the third edition with 24 teams.

8. Coaching Records: Coaches Charles Gyamfi (Ghana) and Hassan Shehata (Egypt) are the only ones to have won the title three times. Frenchman Herve Renard won with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015.

9. African Nations' Participation: Forty-four different African nations have participated in the AFCON, with Comoros and Gambia debuting in the last edition.

10. Consistent Qualifiers: Egypt, Ghana, and South Africa are the only teams to have won the tournament in their debut appearances (1957, 1963, and 1996, respectively).

11. Longevity in the Tournament: Tunisia has qualified for 16 successive AFCON tournaments, starting in 1994, an unmatched record.

12. Top African Teams: The top 15 ranked African teams have all qualified for the 2023 AFCON, making it a highly competitive edition.

13. Historical Trophy Names: The continental trophy has changed names three times—Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem Trophy, African Unity trophy, and Africa Cup of Nations.

14. Former Champions' Presence: Twelve former African champions will participate in the 2023 AFCON.

15. Unbroken Finalists: Every finalist from the 1984 edition has reached the 2023 AFCON, with the last team to reach the final that hasn't qualified being 1982 runners-up Libya.