Molefi Mika and BBC
Molefi Mika and BBC
The history of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) or the Nations Cup, as some choose to call it, is an interesting one, especially for South Africa.
This considering that South Africa was one of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1956 with the main focus being to have different nations meeting in a continental spectacle.
In February 1957, beneath the heat of the Nubian Desert in Sudan, few could have predicted the expansion of the Afcon.
That was precisely the aim of a meeting between seven delegates in Lisbon the previous year.
There CAF was formed and the organisation planned the first tournament for the following year in Khartoum.
However, as the start date drew near, there were a few hurdles to overcome, such as the exclusion of South Africa after the apartheid regime failed to approve a multi-racial team.
White apartheid rulers and their constituencies deemed it taboo to have South Africans of different races playing sport together.
So with South Africa out, the tournament came down to a playoff between just three teams - Egypt, hosts Sudan and Ethiopia.
Ironically, 39 years later, at the end of apartheid, South Africa returned to rescue CAF by staging the expanded 16-team event after Kenya withdrew as hosts in 1996.
South Africa, who were now more like rookies, actually won the Afcon at home with Clive Barker as coach. Inexperience, nevertheless, showed on the part of their Bafana Bafana team when their captain Neil Tovey went on stage to receive the prestigious trophy wearing an opposition (Tunisia) jersey.
Two years later South Africa sent a youthful side guided by innovative Jomo Sono to defend in Burkina Faso. But they found the more experienced Pharoahs from Egypt uncompromising lot in the final when they were shaded 2-0.
Back to earlier days. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia played the first two tournaments in odd years before it increased to four, six, eight, 12 and then 16 teams.
Every adjustment increased the chances of seeing the best players in the continent.
Papa Camara, Petit Sory and Cherif Souleymane were the cream of an excellent Guinean side who could easily be compared to the devastating Nigerian and Cameroonian squads of the last decade.
Few Africans today would have heard of the Algerian Lalmas, Ghanaian dribbling wizard Osei Kofi or Ethiopian captain Italo Vassalo - they were among a host of legends to play in the Afcon tournaments of the 1960s.
Since the early days, west Africa - and Ghana in particular - has maintained its reputation, while the other pioneers Ethiopia and Sudan have deteriorated.
The Afcon finals are always colourful affairs
In the space of 30 years there has been an amazing shift of power - a classic between Ethiopia and Sudan (both former champions) in the 1960s is now overshadowed by a match between Cameroon against Nigeria.
And while there have been many highlights, few Afcon tournaments have taken place without any problems.
Mali, one of the poorest countries, had their own difficulties in getting their tournament off the ground when they hosted in 2004. Many felt the money poured into hosting the sporting extravaganza could be better spent.
One thing is certain, though - that CAF and the Afcon are still in existence is because of the passion for the game on the African continent. See more on the Afcon on the next pages.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
1957 Egypt
1959 Egypt
1962 Ethiopia
1963 Ghana
1965 Ghana
1968 Congo (Kinshasa)
1970 Sudan
1972 Congo (Brazzaville)
1974 Zaire
1976 Morocco
1978 Ghana
1980 Nigeria
1982 Ghana
1984 Cameroon
1986 Egypt
1988 Cameroon
1990 Algeria
1992 Ivory Coast
1994 Nigeria
1996 South Africa
1998 Egypt
2000 Cameroon
2002 Cameroon
2004 Tunisia
2006 Egypt
PREVIOUS HOSTS
2006 Egypt
2004 Mali
2002 Tunisia
2000 Ghana/Nigeria
1998 Burkina Faso
1996 South Africa
1994 Tunisia
1992 Senegal
1990 Algeria
1988 Morocco
1986 Egypt
1984 Ivory Coast
1982 Libya
1980 Nigeria
1978 Ghana
1976 Ethiopia
1974 Egypt
1972 Cameroon
1970 Sudan
1968 Ethiopia
1965 Tunisia
1963 Ghana
1962 Ethiopia
1959 Egypt
1957 Sudan
South Africa rewrites history as the CAF founding member
Molefi Mika and BBC
Molefi Mika and BBC
The history of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) or the Nations Cup, as some choose to call it, is an interesting one, especially for South Africa.
This considering that South Africa was one of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1956 with the main focus being to have different nations meeting in a continental spectacle.
In February 1957, beneath the heat of the Nubian Desert in Sudan, few could have predicted the expansion of the Afcon.
That was precisely the aim of a meeting between seven delegates in Lisbon the previous year.
There CAF was formed and the organisation planned the first tournament for the following year in Khartoum.
However, as the start date drew near, there were a few hurdles to overcome, such as the exclusion of South Africa after the apartheid regime failed to approve a multi-racial team.
White apartheid rulers and their constituencies deemed it taboo to have South Africans of different races playing sport together.
So with South Africa out, the tournament came down to a playoff between just three teams - Egypt, hosts Sudan and Ethiopia.
Ironically, 39 years later, at the end of apartheid, South Africa returned to rescue CAF by staging the expanded 16-team event after Kenya withdrew as hosts in 1996.
South Africa, who were now more like rookies, actually won the Afcon at home with Clive Barker as coach. Inexperience, nevertheless, showed on the part of their Bafana Bafana team when their captain Neil Tovey went on stage to receive the prestigious trophy wearing an opposition (Tunisia) jersey.
Two years later South Africa sent a youthful side guided by innovative Jomo Sono to defend in Burkina Faso. But they found the more experienced Pharoahs from Egypt uncompromising lot in the final when they were shaded 2-0.
Back to earlier days. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia played the first two tournaments in odd years before it increased to four, six, eight, 12 and then 16 teams.
Every adjustment increased the chances of seeing the best players in the continent.
Papa Camara, Petit Sory and Cherif Souleymane were the cream of an excellent Guinean side who could easily be compared to the devastating Nigerian and Cameroonian squads of the last decade.
Few Africans today would have heard of the Algerian Lalmas, Ghanaian dribbling wizard Osei Kofi or Ethiopian captain Italo Vassalo - they were among a host of legends to play in the Afcon tournaments of the 1960s.
Since the early days, west Africa - and Ghana in particular - has maintained its reputation, while the other pioneers Ethiopia and Sudan have deteriorated.
The Afcon finals are always colourful affairs
In the space of 30 years there has been an amazing shift of power - a classic between Ethiopia and Sudan (both former champions) in the 1960s is now overshadowed by a match between Cameroon against Nigeria.
And while there have been many highlights, few Afcon tournaments have taken place without any problems.
Mali, one of the poorest countries, had their own difficulties in getting their tournament off the ground when they hosted in 2004. Many felt the money poured into hosting the sporting extravaganza could be better spent.
One thing is certain, though - that CAF and the Afcon are still in existence is because of the passion for the game on the African continent. See more on the Afcon on the next pages.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
1957 Egypt
1959 Egypt
1962 Ethiopia
1963 Ghana
1965 Ghana
1968 Congo (Kinshasa)
1970 Sudan
1972 Congo (Brazzaville)
1974 Zaire
1976 Morocco
1978 Ghana
1980 Nigeria
1982 Ghana
1984 Cameroon
1986 Egypt
1988 Cameroon
1990 Algeria
1992 Ivory Coast
1994 Nigeria
1996 South Africa
1998 Egypt
2000 Cameroon
2002 Cameroon
2004 Tunisia
2006 Egypt
PREVIOUS HOSTS
2006 Egypt
2004 Mali
2002 Tunisia
2000 Ghana/Nigeria
1998 Burkina Faso
1996 South Africa
1994 Tunisia
1992 Senegal
1990 Algeria
1988 Morocco
1986 Egypt
1984 Ivory Coast
1982 Libya
1980 Nigeria
1978 Ghana
1976 Ethiopia
1974 Egypt
1972 Cameroon
1970 Sudan
1968 Ethiopia
1965 Tunisia
1963 Ghana
1962 Ethiopia
1959 Egypt
1957 Sudan
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