Soccer Special: Remarkable Feats In The African Cup Of Nations

The African Cup of Nations tournament has seen some remarkable feats accomplished by participating teams over the years.

For instance, in 2006, South Africa made an ignominious exit from the competition, failing to win any matches, draw any, or score a single goal.

In contrast, Cameroon holds the record for the most clean sheets in a single tournament, managing to keep a total of six clean sheets in the 2002 edition.

Nigeria, on the other hand, has an impressive track record of 15 podium finishes at the tournament, having won three gold medals, four silver medals, and eight bronze medals over the years.

Only two teams have managed to host and win the tournament in their debut appearance – Ghana in 1963 and South Africa in 1996.

Moreover, Egypt, Ghana, and South Africa are the only nations to have won the tournament in their debut appearance.

Egypt, in particular, has played the most matches in the tournament finals, with a total of 107 games under their belt.

Egypt has a few other distinctions to their name, including the longest penalty shoot-out winning streak in the competition’s history.

They won six consecutive penalty shootouts from 1986, but their streak finally came to an end after 35 years when they lost 4-2 on penalties to Senegal on February 6, 2022.

Additionally, Egypt is the only team to have won three consecutive African Cup of Nations finals, claiming the title in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

Tunisia holds the record for the most consecutive appearances at the African Cup of Nations, having made sixteen consecutive appearances from 1994 to 2023.

The highest attendance in a single game was witnessed at the Cairo stadium when 120,000 spectators gathered to watch Egypt take on Cameroon in 1986.

Another notable record was set when Egypt scored the most goals in a single match, defeating Nigeria 6-3 in 1963.

The Ivorian team has also made a significant mark in the tournament’s history, winning by the highest margin when they beat Ethiopia 6-1 in 1970.

In another memorable game, they played the longest penalty shoot-out in the competition’s history, defeating Cameroon 12-11 after a 1-1 draw in 2006.

Finally, Egypt holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak in the tournament, having gone 24 matches undefeated from 2004 to the 2017 finals, where they lost 1-2 to Cameroon.