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Hello everyone , hello football fans across the world and especially Africa ,It’s left with a single day before the enthralling and most competitive tournament of this great Continent the AFCON(African Cup Of Nations) which will be held in Cameroon.
The AFCON is a tournament held in Africa in every two years, it was first held in Sudan in 1957 in which only three countries participated ( Sudan,Egypt and Ethiopia) Egypt won that tournament and Ethiopia were runners up . The last tournament was in 2019 was held in Egypt in which Algeria won the tournament and Senegal were runners up.
below is the list of AFCON winners and runners up.
| Year | Hosts | Winners | Runners up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 🇸🇩Sudan | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇪🇹Ethiopia |
| 1959 | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇸🇩Sudan |
| 1962 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia | 🇪🇹Ethiopia | 🇪🇬Egypt |
| 1963 | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇸🇩Sudan |
| 1965 | 🇹🇳Tunisia | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇹🇳Tunisia |
| 1968 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia | 🇨🇩Dr Congo | 🇬🇭Ghana |
| 1970 | 🇸🇩Sudan | 🇸🇩Sudan | 🇬🇭Ghana |
| 1972 | 🇨🇲Cameroon | 🇨🇬Congo | 🇨🇬Mali |
| 1974 | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇨🇩Zaire(Dr Congo) | 🇿🇲Zambia |
| 1976 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia | 🇲🇦Morocco | 🇬🇳Guinea |
| 1978 | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇺🇬Uganda |
| 1980 | 🇳🇬Nigeria | 🇳🇬Nigeria | 🇩🇿Algeria |
| 1982 | 🇱🇾Libya | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇱🇾Libya |
| 1984 | 🇨🇮Côte d'Ivoire | 🇨🇲Cameroon | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
| 1986 | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇨🇲Cameroon |
| 1988 | 🇲🇦Morocco | 🇨🇲Cameroon | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
| 1990 | 🇩🇿Algeria | 🇩🇿Algeria | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
| 1992 | 🇸🇳Senegal | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast | 🇬🇭Ghana |
| 1994 | 🇹🇳Tunisia | 🇳🇬Nigeria | 🇿🇲Zambia |
| 1996 | 🇿🇦South Africa | 🇿🇦South Africa | 🇹🇳Tunisia |
| 1998 | 🇧🇫Burkina-Faso | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇿🇦South Africa |
| 2000 | Ghana/Nigeria | 🇨🇲Cameroon | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
| 2002 | 🇲🇱Mali | 🇨🇲Cameroon | 🇸🇳Senegal |
| 2004 | 🇹🇳Tunisia | 🇹🇳Tunisia | 🇲🇦Morocco |
| 2006 | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast |
| 2008 | 🇬🇭Ghana | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇨🇲Cameroon |
| 2010 | 🇦🇴Angola | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇬🇭Ghana |
| 2012 | Equatorial Guinea/Gabon | 🇿🇲Zambia | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast |
| 2013 | 🇿🇦South Africa | 🇳🇬Nigeria | 🇧🇫Burkina-Faso |
| 2015 | 🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast | 🇬🇭Ghana |
| 2017 | 🇬🇦Gabon | 🇨🇲Cameroon | 🇪🇬Egypt |
| 2019 | 🇪🇬Egypt | 🇩🇿Algeria | 🇸🇳Senegal |
I’m supposed to be doing a preview of the upcoming tournament lol 😆, I just got carried away .
The AFCON Cameroon 2022 group stage consists of 6 groups (A to F) and 24 teams, with each group consisting of 4 teams with Only two teams from each group to proceed to the next stage along with best 3rd positions of four teams.
Group A
- 🇧🇫Burkina- Faso nicknamed “The Stallions”
- 🇨🇲 Cameroon nicknamed “The Indomitable Lions”
- 🇨🇻 Cape Verde nicknamed “The Blue Sharks”
- 🇪🇹Ethiopia nicknamed “The Antelopes”
This group is not much of a difficult one and I think the hosts (indomitable Lions) and five time champions are favorites to top this group and Ethiopia will get the second place.
Group B
- 🇸🇳Senegal nicknamed “The Lions of Teranga”
- 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe nicknamed “The warriors”
- 🇬🇳Guinea nicknamed “The national Elephants”
- 🇲🇼 Malawi nicknamed “The Flames”
With the likes of Sadio Mané, Edouard Mendy , Koulibaly and other quality players Senegal are going to fly higher in this particular group and undoubtedly one of the favorites to win this tournament “the warriors” are most like to proceed out of the remaining three.
Group C
- 🇲🇦Morocco nicknamed “The Lions of Atlas”
- 🇬🇭 Ghana nicknamed “The Black Stars”
- 🇬🇦 Gabon nicknamed “The Panthers”
- 🇰🇲 Comoros nicknamed “The Coelacanthiformes”
It’s going be a tough call as to who will lead this group with both Morocco and Ghana having Top flight players I think one of the two will lead this group and the other in 2nd place.
Group D
- 🇪🇬 Egypt nicknamed “The Pharoahs”
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria nicknamed “The Super Eagles”
- 🇸🇩 Sudan nicknamed “The crocodiles of the Nile”
- 🇬🇳Guinea Bissau nicknamed “The Laycaons”
this group is going to be an interesting and entertaining one but with the current form of Mohammed Salah I think Egypt will come out on top leaving Nigeria in 2nd place.
Group E
- 🇩🇿Algeria nicknamed “Les Fennecs” French for the ''Desert Foxes".
- 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast nicknamed “The Elephants”
- 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone nicknamed “The Leone stars”
- 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
Algeria are without doubts the stronger side and are favorites to lead this group and Ivory Coast in 2nd place.
Group F
- 🇹🇳 Tunisia nicknamed “Eagles of Carthage”
- 🇲🇱 Mali nicknamed “The Eagles of Mali”
- 🇬🇲 Gambia nicknamed “The Scorpions”
- 🇲🇷 Mauritania nicknamed “the Mourabitounes”
This group is unpredictable and anything can happen but for me Tunisia will fly higher .
The Opening game is going to take place between the host (Cameroon) and Burkina-Faso at 4:00pm at the stade Olembe, Cameroon.
I can’t wait for this tournament to kick start and I pray it will be enthralling as anticipated and I’ll be supporting my country (Ghana) and I wish them luck.
Hope you enjoyed the preview.