Most people consider the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) the most prestigious tournament in Africa. Why wouldn’t they, considering that the tournament is the biggest in Africa and attracts billions of fans from all around the globe? Moreover, it treats its enthusiasts to illustrious moments, exceptional players, and shocking events.
In fact, history has it that predicting AFCON matches has always been challenging, considering the usually intricate nature of the matches. So, whether you are just spectating or want to predict the outcomes on a serious level at 888bet in Tanzania, there are some notable moments in AFCON history worth noting.
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The Super Eagles rank with the best teams in Africa, and rightly so. This fantastic team has bagged 15 AFCON medals, with three gold trophies on the list. All that is courtesy of outstanding players who’ve always made Nigeria proud, from Sunday Oliseh to Alex Iwobi.
But here’s something surprising. Despite being a super team, the Super Eagles clashed with Madagascar in 2019 and lost! That is despite Madagascar’s national team being ranked 24th in AFCON 2024’s list of the best teams. Needless to say, Nigerians were very disappointed.
During a knockout game, one team must win. If that doesn’t happen within the allocated 90 minutes and extra time, the contestants must battle it out in penalty shootouts. Whichever team scores the most penalties proceeds to the next stage. Remember, penalty shootouts rarely surpass the usual five takes, except for the peculiar case between Cameroon and Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast went head-to-head with Cameroon in 2006, and upon the last whistle, the score was even. So, shootouts began. Contrary to what fans are used to, Cameroon and Ivory Coast became a game of endurance and shocked the entire world. In total, 23 shots were taken, which is an enormous number.
Zambia is ranked as the 18th-best team in AFCON. It’s one spot below and above Gabon and Uganda, respectively. You wouldn’t expect such a team to win the AFCON, right? Well, prepare to be surprised. In 2012, Zambia went home with the AFCON trophy.
2012 was a good year for Zambia and its coach, Herve Renard. Unfortunately, that was the first and last time Zambia won AFCON. Its triumph materialized in penalty shootouts, where Zambia’s players narrowly defeated Ivory Coast 8-7.
Mauritania adopted its first national anthem in 1960 after securing its independence from France after a bloody resistance. But there was one problem. Mauritanians found their first national anthem impossible since it had a complex rhythm that made singing a nightmare. Finally, in late 2017, the Mauritanian National Assembly switched to a better anthem.
Sadly, few people outside Mauritania realized this country had changed its terrible national anthem. That is reflected in AFCON 2022 when tournament organizers played the wrong national anthem. The worst part is that this error occurred thrice, and Mauritanian players were forced to sit through the wrong anthems thrice. It was an utter disaster.
Summary
AFCON always treats football fans to outstanding events, as evidenced by the moments revisited here. And there are plenty that you, an AFCON fan, should remember, from Madagascar annihilating the Super Eagles to Mauritania listening to officials play the wrong national anthem three times in a row.
To avoid missing such events, don’t forget to watch future AFCON competitions and tournaments. It’s easy now. You can watch on the go using your phone or PC, courtesy of live broadcasting channels like CAF TV.
