Africa Cup of Nations Previews, Predictions & Betting Tips
The Africa Cup of Nations is the 33rd edition of the main international football competition in Africa organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It is the continent's biggest and best competition for the senior men’s national teams.
The tournament was moved from January to June and expanded from 16 to 24 teams for the 2019 edition which will be held in Egypt. 50 teams entered the qualification phase with Egypt automatically qualifying as hosts.
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Africa Cup of Nations History
The Africa Cup of Nations - often referred to as AFCON - was first held in 1957 and corresponds with the creation of the CAF (Confederation of African Football). Just three nations participated in the first tournament with two matches played, Egypt defeating hosts Sudan in the semi-final and Ethiopia in the final.
South Africa were supposed to be the fourth competing nation, but were disqualified after insisting on selecting only white players due to its apartheid policy.
The tournament was held every two years since 1968, but as of 2013 was switched to odd-numbered years to avoid clashing with the FIFA World Cup. The title holders at the time of a FIFA Confederations Cup qualified for that competition.
The tournament has grown greatly which made it necessary to hold a qualifying tournament. The number of participants in the tournament reached 16 in 1998, although Nigeria eventually withdrew, reducing the field to 15.
Until 2017, the format had been unchanged, with the sixteen teams being drawn into four groups of four. On 20 July 2017, the format was changed with the tournament moved from January to June and expanded from 16 to 24 teams.
The tournament was also switched to odd numbered years in 2013 so as not to clash with the FIFA World Cup.
Three different trophies have been awarded during the tournament's history, with Ghana and Cameroon winning the first two versions for keeps after each of them won a tournament three times. The current trophy was first awarded in 2002.
Who were the recent Africa Cup of Nations winners and runners-up?
Cameroon lifted the trophy in 2000 in a tournament co-hosted by West African neighbours Ghana and Nigeria. They defeated Nigeria in the final to win the tournament.
The West Africans successfully defended their title two years later, beating Senegal in the final in Mali for their fourth triumph in the tournament. Tunisia followed, winning on home soil two years later after defeating Morocco in the final.
Egypt then began a dominance in the competition as they claimed three successive titles from 2006 to 2010. They beat Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana in that order to take their title haul to seven.
2012 saw Zambia claim an emotional triumph in the tournament hosted by Gabon and Equatorial. Nearly 20 years on from a fatal plane crash which wiped out an entire generation of players, the Zambians claimed their first ever title.
The Africa Cup of Nations switched to odd number years in 2013 with South Africa hosting the tournament. Nigeria claimed their third title and first since 1994 thanks to a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the final.
Ivory Coast made up for years of heartache in Gabon in 2015 as they ended a 23 year wait for the title with a victory over Ghana in the final.
Cameroon are the defending champions after defeating Egypt 2-1 in the 2017 final in Gabon. The match was held at the Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville on 5 February 2017 with Vincent Aboubakar scoring a dramatic 88th minute winner.
Africa Cup of Nations Hosts, Winners, Runners-Up, Third & Fourth Placed Teams
| Year | Hosts(s) | Champion | Score | Second | Third | Score | Fourth | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Guinea | |||||||
| 2023 | Ivory Coast | |||||||
| 2021 | Cameroon | |||||||
| 2019 | Egypt | 24 | ||||||
| 2017 | Gabon | Cameroon | 2–1 | Egypt | Burkina Faso | 1–0 | Ghana | 16 |
| 2015 | Equatorial Guinea | Ivory Coast | 0–0 (aet) 9-8 P | Ghana | DR Congo | 0–0(aet) 4-2 P | Equatorial Guinea | 16 |
| 2013 | South Africa | Nigeria | 1–0 | Burkina Faso | Mali | 3–1 | Ghana | 16 |
| 2012 | Gabon & | Zambia | 0–0 (aet) 8-7 P | Ivory Coast | Mali | 2–0 | Ghana | 16 |
| 2010 | Angola | Egypt | 1–0 | Ghana | Nigeria | 1–0 | Algeria | 15/16 |
| 2008 | Ghana | Egypt | 1–0 | Cameroon | Ghana | 4–2 | Ivory Coast | 16 |
| 2006 | Egypt | Egypt | 0–0 (aet) 4-2 P | Ivory Coast | Nigeria | 1–0 | Senegal | 16 |
| 2004 | Tunisia | Tunisia | 2–1 | Morocco | Nigeria | 2–1 | Mali | 16 |
| 2002 | Mali | Cameroon | 0–0 (aet) 3-2 P | Senegal | Nigeria | 1–0 | Mali | 16 |
| 2000 | Ghana & | Cameroon | 2–2 (aet) 4-3 P | Nigeria | South Africa | 2–2(aet) 4-3P | Tunisia | 16 |
| 1998 | Burkina Faso | Egypt | 2–0 | South Africa | DR Congo | 4–4(aet) | Burkina Faso | 16 |
| 1996 | South Africa | South Africa | 2–0 | Tunisia | Zambia | 1–0 | Ghana | 15/16 |
| 1994 | Tunisia | Nigeria | 2–1 | Zambia | Ivory Coast | 3–1 | Mali | 12 |
| 1992 | Senegal | Ivory Coast | 0–0 (aet) 11-10 P | Ghana | Nigeria | 2–1 | Cameroon | 12 |
| 1990 | Algeria | Algeria | 1–0 | Nigeria | Zambia | 1–0 | Senegal | 8 |
| 1988 | Morocco | Cameroon | 1–0 | Nigeria | Algeria | 1–1(aet) | Morocco | 8 |
| 1986 | Egypt | Egypt | 0–0 (aet) 5-4 P | Cameroon | Ivory Coast | 3–2 | Morocco | 8 |
| 1984 | Ivory Coast | Cameroon | 3–1 | Nigeria | Algeria | 3–1 | Egypt | 8 |
| 1982 | Libya | Ghana | 1–1 (aet) 7-6 P | Libya | Zambia | 2–0 | Algeria | 8 |
| 1980 | Nigeria | Nigeria | 3–0 | Algeria | Morocco | 2–0 | Egypt | 8 |
| 1978 | Ghana | Ghana | 2–0 | Uganda | Nigeria | 2–0 | Tunisia | 8 |
| 1976 | Ethiopia | Morocco | N/A | Guinea | Nigeria | N/A | Egypt | 8 |
| 1974 | Egypt | Zaire | 2–2 (aet) 2-0 R | Zambia | Egypt | 4–0 | Congo | 8 |
| 1972 | Cameroon | Congo | 3–2 | Mali | Cameroon | 5–2 | Zaire | 8 |
| 1970 | Sudan | Sudan | 1–0 | Ghana | United Arab Republic | 3–1 | Ivory Coast | 8 |
| 1968 | Ethiopia | Congo-Kinshasa | 1–0 | Ghana | Ivory Coast | 1–0 | Ethiopia | 8 |
| 1965 | Tunisia | Ghana | 3–2 (aet) | Tunisia | Ivory Coast | 1–0 | Senegal | 6 |
| 1963 | Ghana | Ghana | 3–0 | Sudan | United Arab Republic | 3–0 | Ethiopia | 6 |
| 1962 | Ethiopia | Ethiopia | 4–2 (aet) | United Arab Republic | Tunisia | 3–0 | Uganda | 4 |
| 1959 | United Arab Republic | United Arab Republic | 4–0 | Sudan | Ethiopia | 3/4 | ||
| 1957 | Sudan | Egypt | 4–0 | Ethiopia | Sudan | 3/4 |
Where is the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations?
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Egypt. This will be the fifth time Egypt have been hosts after staging the tournament in 1959, 1974, 1986 and 2006. Egypt have won the title on three occasions out of the four in which they have been hosts.
Cameroon was initially scheduled to be hosts but were stripped of the hosting rights due to delays in delivery of infrastructure. Following the dismissal of Cameroon, CAF announced they will be receiving applications for new hosts.
Egypt and South Africa made bids for the tournament with the North Africans eventually winning the rights.
When is the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations?
The 2019 Africa Cup of
Nations starts on 21 June with the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Final scheduled to be held at Cairo International Stadium on 19 July.
What Stadiums will host matches at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations?
Hosts Egypt initially chose eight stadiums to be used at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations but later confirmed six would be used. The six stadiums are the Cairo International Stadium, 30 June Stadium, Al Salam Stadium, Alexandria Stadium, Suez Stadium and Ismaila Stadium.
Cairo International Stadium
The Cairo International Stadium is an Olympic-standard, multi-use stadium with an all-seated capacity of 75,000. It is the 69th largest stadium in the world and before becoming an all seater it had the ability to hold over 100,000 spectators, reaching a record of 120,000.
It served as the main stadium of the 1991 All-Africa Games and was also the venue for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations Final when Egypt won the title for the fifth time.
Al Salam Stadium
The Al Salam Stadium is multi-use stadium in Cairo with an all-seated capacity of 30,000. The stadium is the home venue of Egyptian Premier League side El Entag El Harby.
The Stadium was built in 2009 and was the venue for Group B matches during the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. It also hosts home games for Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
30 June Stadium
The 30 June Stadium is a stadium In Cairo used mostly for football matches and occasionally for athletics. It was built by the Egyptian Air Defense Forces and is the main venue of the Air Defense Sport Village.
The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 and is the home ground of the Egyptian Premier League team Pyramids F.C.
Alexandria Stadium
The Alexandria Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Alexandria used mostly for football matches. It is the oldest stadium in Egypt and Africa having been built in 1929.
The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 people and was used for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.
Suez Stadium
The Suez Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Suez. It was built in 1990 and has a capacity of 27,000 It serves as the home stadium of Asmant El-Suweis & Petrojet.
Ismaila Stadium
The Ismailia Stadium is located in Ismailia and has a total capacity of 18,525. It is used by Ismaily SC and was one of six venues used for the 2006 African Cup of Nations.
2019 Africa Cup of Nations Teams & Squads
The 24 teams competing in the tournament are Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Guinea, Mali, DR Congo, Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola, Burundi, Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania.
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will feature some of the best teams in Africa with 14 former champions set to compete. All five of Africa’s representatives at the FIFA World Cup in Russia also qualified for the tournament in Egypt.
The favourites include Egypt, Cameroon, Senegal, Nigeria and Morocco.
Egypt
Egypt are record winners of the Africa Cup of Nations having won the title seven times. They are considered favourites for the AFCON title, their last triumph was at the 2010 tournament in Angola.
The Pharaohs often do well whenever they host the tournament with three of their seven titles coming on home soil. They are led by reigning African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah and will be one of the teams to watch.
Cameroon
Cameroon are defending AFCON champions following their triumph in 2017. They were originally set to host the tournament before being stripped of the rights due to delays in delivery of infrastructure.
The West Africans have not been at their best since winning the title in 2017 as they missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. They are still ranked among the contenders for the title.
Senegal
Senegal have come close to winning the AFCON a number of times but often fall short at the latter stages of the competition. They competed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and are currently Africa’s number one ranked team.
The Terranga Lions will travel to Egypt with one of the most talented pool of players in the country’s history. Sadio Mane has been excellent for Liverpool in the English Premier League this season and will hope to lead the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Keita Balde and Moussa Konate to glory in Egypt.
Nigeria
Nigeria are making a return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the last two editions. They emerged victorious in their last appearance in the competition, lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2013.
The three-time African champions have a young and talented squad of players who already have the experience of playing in the World Cup. The West Africans are always an exciting team to watch and with the likes of Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo, will be hoping to go all the way.
Morocco
Morocco have a young and exciting squad with players plying their trade in some of the biggest clubs across Europe. Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi and Youssef En-Nesyri will be flying the country’s flag in Egypt.
The Atlas Lions have only won the title once but will travel to Egypt with plenty of confidence. Their biggest advantage could be French manager Herve Renard, who led Zambia to glory in 2012 and then repeated the feat in 2015 with Ivory Coast.
2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Betting Odds
Hosts Egypt are the early favourites to lift the 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations trophy. Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Morocco are all given a chance by bookmakers.
Next best in the outright betting markert are Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, DR Congo and South Africa. Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Uganda. Nations given little chance of competing in Egypt include Zimbabwe, Kenya, Madagascar, Burindi, Tanzania, Mauritania and Namibia.
Please not odds are subject to change:
Nation | Odds |
|---|---|
| Egypt | 4.50 |
| Ghana | 6.00 |
| Nigeria | 7.00 |
| Senegal | 7.50 |
| Ivory Coast | 8.00 |
| Algeria | 9.00 |
| Morocco | 9.00 |
| Tunisia | 13.00 |
| Cameroon | 15.00 |
| Mali | 15.00 |
| DR Congo | 21.00 |
| South Africa | 26.00 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 34.00 |
| Angola | 51.00 |
| Benin | 67.00 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 67.00 |
| Uganda | 67.00 |
| Zimbabwe | 101.00 |
| Kenya | 126.00 |
| Madagascar | 151.00 |
| Burindi | 201.00 |
| Tanzania | 201.00 |
| Mauritania | 251.00 |
| Namibia | 251.00 |
2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Groups & Match Fixtures
The 24 teams have been seeded into six groups with four teams in each group, hosts Egypt seeded in Group A.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Nigeria | Senegal | Morocco | Tunisia | Cameroon |
| DR Congo | Guinea | Algeria | Ivory Coast | Mali | Ghana |
| Uganda | Madagascar | Kenya | South Africa | Mauritania | Republic of Benin |
| Zimbabwe | Burundi | Tanzania | Namibia | Angola | Guinea-Bissau |
The teams in each group will play each other once in a round robin format. The top two teams and the four best third teams will advance to the Round of 16.
The winners in the Round of 16 will advance to the quarter-finals with the victorious teams progressing to the semi-finals. There will be a Third place match for the semi-final losers, while the winners will play in the Final to decide the the 2019 African champions.
We have full list of all the match fixtures at the 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, hosts Egypt kick it off against Zimbabwe at the Cairo International Stadium on 12 June. There will be a total of 52 matches conttested with the Final scheduled at the Cairo International Stadium on 19 July.
2019 Africa Cup of Nations Final
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Final will be held at Cairo International Stadium on 19 July. The Cairo International Stadium has hosted two previous AFCON finals in 1986 and 2006 with Egypt lifting the trophy on both occasions.
Who has won the most Africa Cup of Nations titles?
Egypt is the most successful nation in the Africa Cup of Nations winning the tournament seven times (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010). Cameroon are next best with five (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017).
Ghana have won four times (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982) and Nigeria have picked up three trophies (1980, 1994, 2013).
Ivory Coast (1992, 2015) and DR Congo (1968, 1974) have won two AFCON titles with the following nations winning once; Zambia (2012), Tunisia (2004), Sudan (1970), Algeria (1990), Ethiopia (1962), Morocco (1976), South Africa (1996) and Congo (1972).
Who are the defending Africa Cup of Nations champions?
Cameroon are the defending champions, the Indomitable Lions defeating Egypt 2-1 in the 2017 final in Gabon. The match was held at the Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville on 5 February 2017.
Mohamed Elneny scored in the first half with Egypt taking a 1-0 lead into half-time. Cameroon stormed home however, Nicolas Nkoulou equalising before Vincent Aboubakar scored the winner in the 88th minute.
It was Egypt's first loss in the AFCON final since the 1962 African Cup of Nations final.
What happened in the last Africa Cup of Nations?
The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations was held in Gabon, who had previously co-hosted the tournament with Equatorial Guinea in 2012. It was the 31st edition of the competition and was initially scheduled to be held in Libya until CAF rescinded its hosting right due to the ongoing war in the country.
Cameroon won the title for the fifth time after claiming a 2-1 victory over Egypt in the final. Tournament hosts Gabon were eliminated in the group stage of the competition alongside defending champions Ivory Coast while three-time winners Nigeria were the major absentees from the tournament.
Africa Cup of Nations Top 10 Goalscorers
Samuel Eto'o leads the Africa Cup of Nations top 10 goalscorers list with 18 goals. The Former Cameroon striker scored his goals in seven AFCON tournaments between 1998 and 2010. He was part of the title winning squad in 2000 and 2002 and claimed the golden boot twice in 2006 and 2008.
Late Ivorian international Laurent Pokou held the title for the most goals in the AFCON for many years before being over taken by Eto'o in 2008. Pokou scored 14 goals from eight AFCON appearances between 1965 and 1968.
Other goalscorers of note include Nigeria's Rashidi Yekini (13 goals), Hassan El Shazly of Egypt (12 goals). Hossam Hassan (Egypt), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Patrick Mboma (Cameroon), all of whom have 11 goals.
Five players are tied on 10 AFCON goals including Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), Joel Tiehi (Ivory Coast), Ndaye Mulamba (DR Congo), Mengistu Worku (Ethiopia), Francileudo Santos (Tunisia).
2019 Africa Cup of Nations Betting Tips
Free Tips will have match previews, predictions and betting tips for all 2019 Africa Cup of Nations matches. We will also have selections for 2019 AFCON winner and top goalscorer.
2019 Africa Cup of Nations Live Streaming
Matches from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will be streamed live free to members at bet365 > live streaming soccer (a funded account is required and streams are not available in all countries).
CAF Africa Cup of Nations Free bets
Many bookmakers will be offering free bets for the Africa Cup of Nations including sign up bonuses. Be sure to check in with free tips for all the available offers.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations Bet of the Day
Free Tips will be offering our best bet of the day during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. We select one bet from our expert tipsters' predictions which could be a win, draw, handicap, first goalscorer or correct score tip.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations Results
It's important to know all the recent results when finding value in the upcoming matches at the African Cup of Nations. The official CAF website will have all the information regarding results at the tournament including team and player statistics.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations Replays
If you can't watch the match live, it's vital to watch as many replays as possible in order to have the best possible chance of beating the bookmakers. This could be full matches or extended highlights.
CAF TV has a dedicated youtube channel where you can catch all the action throughout the tournament.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations News
The official CAF website is your first point of call to keep up to date with all the latest news from the tournament in Egypt.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations Social Media
The CAF twitter account is excellent and has almost 1 million followers.
