AFCON: How Defending Champions Have Performed

Defending the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title has historically proven to be one of the tournament’s toughest challenges.

Since Egypt first lifted the trophy in 1959, many reigning champions have struggled to replicate their success at the next edition.

While a few teams managed deep runs, early exits and modest group-stage finishes have been far more common, underlining the competitiveness and unpredictability of African football.

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Only a handful of nations have successfully defended their crown. Ghana did so in 1965, while Cameroon (2002) and Egypt (2008 and 2010) stand out as the most dominant modern examples.

Egypt’s back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2010 remain a historic achievement, especially considering they failed to qualify for the 2012 tournament. Cameroon also enjoyed a strong spell, winning in 2002 before falling to the quarter-finals two years later. In contrast, several champions such as Zaire, Sudan, Congo Brazzaville, and Morocco (1978) exited at the group stage in their title defences.

Recent tournaments have followed the same pattern of difficulty for reigning champions. Ivory Coast (2017), Algeria (2022), and Senegal (2024) all failed to progress beyond the early knockout rounds or group stages, despite entering as favourites. Nigeria and Zambia also suffered disappointing campaigns, while Nigeria notably withdrew from the 1996 edition due to political tensions with hosts South Africa.

Overall, AFCON history shows that defending the title is often harder than winning it, with form, pressure, and fierce continental competition frequently disrupting champions’ hopes of repeat glory

1959: Egypt – champions

1962: Egypt – runners-up

1963: Ethiopia – 4th

1965: Ghana – champions

1968: Ghana – runners-up

1970: Zaire – Gp B, 4th

1972: Sudan – Gp B, 4th

1974: Congo Brazzaville – 4th

1976: Zaire – Gp B, 4th

1878: Morocco – Gp B, 3rd

1980: Ghana – Gp B, 3rd

1982: Nigeria – Gp B, 3rd

1984: Ghana – Gp B, 3rd

1986: Cameroon – runners-up

1988: Egypt – Gp B, 3rd

1990: Cameroon – Gp B, 3rd

1992: Algeria – Gp C, 3rd

1994: Ivory Coast – 3rd

1996: Nigeria – withdrew after a political row with the hosts, South Africa

1998: South Africa – runners-up

2000: Egypt – quarter-finals

2002: Cameroon – champions

2004: Cameroon – quarter-finals

2006: Tunisia – quarter-finals

2008: Egypt – champions

2010: Egypt – champions

2012: Egypt – did not qualify

2013: Zambia – Gp C, 3rd

2015: Nigeria – did not qualify

2017: Ivory Coast – Gp C, 3rd

2019: Cameroon – Last 16

2022: Algeria – Gp E, 4th

2024: Senegal – Last 16

Note: Zaire renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997