Ahead of the 2024 African Cup of Nations tournament, bettors.co.za delved into the record books of the esteemed tournament to see which records could be broken over the next month. The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is esteemed for several key reasons. First, it holds great cultural significance in Africa, where football is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric. It showcases the best of African football who ply their trade across the world. Historically, AFCON is one of the oldest continental football championships, reflecting the continent's political and social evolution.
Here are some of the key findings and records we uncovered:
Most Tournament Wins by a Country: Egypt boasts the record for the most Africa Cup of Nations tournament wins, with an impressive tally of seven victories. They achieved consecutive triumphs in 1957 and 1959, followed by further successes in 2006, 2008, and 2010. Given the history of tournament wins, it is highly unlikely for any team to surpass this record in a single tournament.
Most Caps by a Player: Rigobert Song, the former Cameroonian defender, holds the record for the most appearances in African Cup of Nations (AFCON) history, having played in an impressive 36 matches. André Ayew of Ghana and Ahmed Hassan of Egypt come next in line with 34 and 32 appearances, respectively, making them prominent figures in the tournament's history.
Most Goals in AFCON History: Samuel Eto'o holds the record for the most goals in AFCON history, with 18 goals. Breaking this record would require an extraordinary goal-scoring performance. Ivory Coast icon Laurent Pokou is the second-top scorer with 14. Of all the players that are set to appear at this year's AFCON, Ghana forward Andre Ayew has 10 goals to his name while Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar has nine and Senegal talisman Sadio Mane have eight.
Longest unbeaten run: Egypt boasts the longest unbeaten streak in AFCON history, spanning an impressive 21 matches from 2008 to 2010. This remarkable run coincided with their historic three consecutive tournament victories.
Most Goals Scored In A Single Tournament: For 45 years, Ndaye Mulamba has held the record for most goals in a single Africa Cup of Nations tournament which stands at nine goals for Zaire (now DR Congo).
Most goals in a single match: Laurent Pokou's exceptional performance for Ivory Coast in 1970 is indeed memorable. He scored an astounding five goals in a 6-1 victory over Ethiopia, showcasing his prowess as a goal-scorer and contributing significantly to his team's success on that memorable occasion.
AFCON’s youngest ever goalscorer: Shiva N'Zigou holds the distinction of being the youngest player ever to have participated in the Africa Cup of Nations. At the tender age of 16 years and 93 days, he made his debut for Gabon and even managed to score in a match against South Africa during the 2000 African Cup of Nations. N'Zigou's goal also earned him the title of the youngest player ever to score in the competition.
The Hosts Winning The Tournament: The most recent instance of the host nation winning the African Cup of Nations was in 2006 when Egypt hosted and emerged as the champions of the tournament.
Most Points Accumulated By A Team: As of the 2021 African Cup of Nations, Egypt find themselves at the forefront with a remarkable total of 200 points won in the tournament's history. Following Egypt, Ghana holds the second position with 183 points accumulated since the inception of the tournament. Even if Ghana were to win all three of their group games and Egypt were to lose all three of theirs, Egypt would still maintain their lead. Next in line is Nigeria, boasting 181 points, and they have the potential to surpass their Ghanaian rivals if results fall in their favour.
AFCON Wins by a Manager with Two Different Countries: Hervé Renard, currently in charge of the French women's team, holds a unique distinction in AFCON history. He is the sole manager to have clinched the AFCON trophy with two different countries. His first triumph came as the manager of Zambia in 2012, and he followed it up by leading Ivory Coast to victory in 2015.
The Hosts Winning The Tournament: The most recent instance of the host nation winning the African Cup of Nations was in 2010 when Egypt hosted and emerged as the champions of the tournament.
The Tournament With The Most Goals Scored: The 2019 African Cup of Nations witnessed the highest number of goals scored in the tournament's history, with a total of 102 goals. The 2022 edition came in a close second, with a notable tally of 100 goals.
Most losses in finals: Ghana's Black Stars hold the unfortunate record for the most losses in African Cup of Nations finals, having experienced defeat five times in nine appearances. Following closely behind are the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who have suffered defeat on four occasions in the seven times they reached the final.