The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the continent’s men’s international competition, held every two years. Since its inaugural edition in 1957, a total of 15 nations have lifted the prestigious trophy.
The 2025 edition is set to kick off in Morocco in December, with 23 teams challenging reigning champions Ivory Coast for the right to be crowned kings of the continent.
Which nations have enjoyed the most success in the competition’s history? Here are the five countries with the most African Cup of Nations titles;
Egypt (7 titles)
North African giants Egypt are the most successful country in the history of the competition with seven title wins. The Pharaohs won the first two championships, claiming the first-ever edition in Sudan in 1957 and retaining their title as host nations in 1959.
Egypt also enjoyed an unprecedented period of dominance between 2006 and 2010, winning the tournament for three consecutive editions, and are the only side to have achieved the feat.
They also finished second three times, in 1962, 2017 and in 2021.
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Cameroon (5 titles)
The Indomitable Lions have the second most African Cup of Nations title wins in history with five.
They won a first medal at the championships in 1972, claiming the bronze medal, but finally won a first-ever title in 1984 when they defeated Nigeria in the final.
Cameroon’s other titles have come in 1988, 2000, 2002 and 2017, while they have also reached the finals in 1986 and 2008 but fell short of glory.
Ghana (4 titles)
Ghana have won the African Cup of Nations on four occasions, making them the third most successful nation in history.
They recorded their first triumph at their home event in 1963 and successfully defended their title two years later.
The Black Cats won a second tournament on home soil in 1978, although they have not won the title since their last triumph in 1982.
Nigeria (3 titles)
The Super Eagles’ tally of three African Cup of Nations titles places them fourth on this highly-stacked list.
Despite reaching the last four in 1976 and 1978, they did not win the competition until 1980 on home soil.
Nigeria added two more wins in 1994 and 2013 and came agonizingly short of adding a fourth in 2023 when they lost 2-1 to the Ivory Coast in the final.
Ivory Coast (3 titles)
Ivory Coast’s recent triumph in 2023 took their tally to three and secures their place among the continent’s most successful nations.
They laid their hands on the trophy for the first time in 1992, after defeating Ghana in the final.
The Elephants claimed another win in 2015 and added a third with their come from behind win over Nigeria on home soil in 2023.
