The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco on December 21. The best sports betting site 1xBet looks back at the most remarkable events in the history of the continent’s premier football tournament.

The first AFCON and Egypt’s triumph

The tournament was first held in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in 1957 and brought together only three national teams: Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. South Africa was originally among the participants, but the team missed the first Africa Cup of Nations due to disqualification. That modest competition laid the foundation for the development of African football culture and played a key role in shaping the continent’s identity.

Egypt already had a well-developed football system at that time and won the tournament with confidence. In the semi-finals, the Pharaohs beat Sudan 2-1, and in the final, they crushed Ethiopia (4-0) thanks to four goals from Ad-Diba.

South Africa’s historic title

The country returned to the world football community in 1992 and hosted the Africa Cup of Nations just four years later. Bafana Bafana won the tournament, which became a symbol of national revival. In the final, the hosts defeated Tunisia 2-0 in front of 80,000 fans. That title cemented South Africa’s status as a new force on the continent.

It should be noted that the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations also made history by expanding to 16 national teams. Although, in fact, 15 teams played in the tournament, Nigeria withdrew from participation at the last minute.

Zambia, 2012: victory born out of tragedy

The 28th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea was a real football fairy tale. The Zambia national team wasn’t among the favourites, but went through the tournament undefeated and became champions for the first time, beating the star-studded Côte d’Ivoire in a long penalty shootout in the final.

The success was made even more symbolic by the tragedy of 1993. Back then, a plane carrying the Zambia national team crashed near the coast of Gabon, killing 18 players. Hervé Renard’s players fought not only for sporting glory, but also for the memory of those who will forever remain part of the country’s football history.

Two finals between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana (1992 and 2015)

Football has a knack for prolonging tension for decades. In 1992, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana met in the Africa Cup of Nations final, which went down in history as one of the most dramatic ever. After a draw in regular time, it took 22 penalty kicks to determine the winners. The Elephants proved stronger and won AFCON for the first time in history.

In 2015, history repeated itself: the opponents failed to score in regular time again, and the title was decided in a penalty shootout. Côte d’Ivoire started with two misses, but then scored every time. After the decisive shot by their goalkeeper, Boubacar Barry, the Ivorians ran to their fans, while the Ghanaians fell to the turf in despair.

Senegal is breaking the curse

For many years, Senegal had been considered one of the strongest African teams, but had never won any trophies. It was only in 2021 that the Lions of Teranga won the long-awaited title: in the final, Aliou Cissé’s team defeated Egypt in a penalty shootout.

Sadio Mané could have won the game for his team in regular time, but missed a penalty. However, Senegal’s leader took responsibility and converted the decisive kick in the penalty shootout. After the final whistle, Senegalese fans took to the streets to celebrate the victory they had been waiting for over 50 years.

AFCON 2025 will bring together the stars of world football, guaranteeing spectacular matches, unexpected twists and turns, and real football drama.