The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has become a staple in the footballing calendar since its inception in the 1950s.
First held in 1957 with just three sides, it has evolved to become the major footballing tournament in Africa, and is now held every two years in various countries across the continent.
Ivory Coast are the current holders, having beaten Nigeria in the final of the 2023 competition thanks to a late winner from Sebastien Haller.
In doing so, the Elephants became just the third side in the competition’s history to lift the trophy on home soil, after a run in the competition that had also seen them thrashed 4-0 in the group stages and sack head coach Jean-Louis Gasset.
But despite their success, they remain a fair way down the list when it comes to the most successful teams in the tournament. With the qualifiers finalised for the upcoming edition in December 2025, we’ve taken a look at just who those are.
Rank
Nation
Times won
Last win
Egypt
7
2010
Cameroon
5
2017
Ghana
4
1982
Ivory Coast
3
2023
Nigeria
3
2013
Algeria
2
2019
DR Congo
2
1974
Senegal
1
2021
Zambia
1
2012
Tunisia
1
2004
South Africa
1
1996
Morocco
1
1976
Congo
1
1972
Sudan
1
1970
Ethiopia
1
1962
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ByStephan GeorgiouJul 16, 2024 1 Egypt 7 titles (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Undisputedly the most successful side in the history of the tournament, Egypt admittedly had an early advantage.
The Pharaohs won each of the first two tournaments, which consisted of just three teams. This was followed by a run of six consecutive semi-final exits for tournaments they had qualified for.
It meant that their next success didn’t come until 1986, beating Cameroon on penalties, and it took another 12 years to follow that up with a fourth competition win, this time a more comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa.
It was in the early 2000s that Egypt truly emerged as the powerhouse of African football, though, winning three successive tournaments between 2006 and 2010 – becoming the only side in the history of the competition to have managed such a reign of success and doing so without conceding a goal in any of the three finals.
14 years have now passed since their last success, but with Mohamed Salah ready to lead the line once more into the 2025 edition, they remain a side more than capable of lifting a ninth title at the next tournament.
Year
Opposition
Result
Goalscorers
Ethiopia
4-0
Ad-Diba (4)
n/a
1st
n/a
Cameroon
0-0 (aet)
None
South Africa
2-0
Ahmed Hassan, Mostafa
Ivory Coast
0-0 (aet)
None
Cameroon
1-0
Aboutrika
Ghana
1-0
Gedo