When Morocco and Comoros kick off the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Rabat, it will be the 786th game in the tournament’s history in the 35th edition of the continental championship.
Of the previous 785 matches, there have been 562 games with a positive result and 223 that were drawn.
Here are the best 10 of them down the years:
1962 – Ethiopia 4-2 Egypt
Hosts Ethiopia were up against holders Egypt in the final in Addis Ababa and had been behind for most of the match when Zeleke Ghirma equalised in the 74th minute. But the Egyptians immediately regained the lead and looked headed for the title when the home team’s star striker Worku Mengistou scored to take the game to extra time. There Ethiopia took over and goals from Italo Vassalo and Mengistou sealed home success.
1963 – Egypt 6-3 Nigeria
The highest scoring clash in the history of the Cup of Nations came in Kumasi at the start of Group B as Egypt beat Nigeria 6-3. The Egyptians were 4-0 up at half-time with Hassan Shazli and Ibrahim Reda both scoring twice. Nigeria got their first goal in the 78th minute only for Shazli to score again. Then it was 5-2 with Joseph Bassey scoring but Shazli netted his fourth before a last-gasp consolation for the Nigerians.
1970 – Ivory Coast 6-1 Ethiopia
Ivorian striker Laurent Pokou set the record for the most goals in a Cup of Nations finals game with five in a 6-1 romp over Ethiopia in Khartoum to ensure top place in Group B and a trip to the semi-finals. Losseni Diomande scored first before Pokou began his spree, scoring the last four in the final half hour of the game. He finished the tournament with eight goals, but the Ivorians ended fourth.
1980 – Nigeria 3-0 Algeria
The coming of age for Nigeria as the continent’s most populous country won their first continental title with a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria, scoring early to set themselves on course for victory. Segun Odegbami’s second-minute goal was the perfect start for the hosts in front of an expectant crowd in Lagos, and he scored again before half-time. Muda Lawal, who would go on to be Nigeria’s most capped international, got the third.
1990 – Algeria 5-1 Nigeria
The perfect way to kick off a tournament for the host nation saw Algeria thrash Nigeria 5-1 in Algiers as the 1990 finals, the 17th edition, got underway. There were two goals each for Rabah Madjer and Djamel Menad and one extra, for good measure, from Djamel Amani two minutes from time. Ironically, the two sides met again in the final a fortnight later, which was a lot closer with the hosts winning 1-0.
1994 – Tunisia 0-2 Mali
A horror show for the Tunisian hosts as Mali, back at the finals for the first time since finishing runners-up 22 years previously, won the opening game at El Menzah Stadium in a major upset. The dreadlocked Fernand Coulibaly became an overnight folk hero as he got the first goal, and a jittery home team were caught again some nine minutes later by Modibo Sidibe to be 2-0 down at halftime, from which they never recovered.
1998 – DR Congo 4-4 Burkina Faso
The newly renamed Democratic Republic of Congo snatched bronze away from hosts Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou in a stunning comeback. Philippe Troussier’s team were 3-0 up and then 4-1 ahead with four minutes left. But Banza Kasongo, Mbuilua Tondelua, and Lokenge Mungongo all scored to make it 4-4 at full time and force the third-place playoff clash to penalties, which the Congolese won.
2010 – Angola 4-4 Mali
Angola had high hopes of success on home soil when they hosted the 27th edition and were up against Stephen Keshi’s Mali side in the opening game at the new Estadio 11 de Novembro, what proved the greatest comeback in Cup of nations history. It was more than going to plan when Angola found themselves 4-0 up with 15 minutes to go. But Mali stormed back to score through Seydou Keita (2), Frederic Kanoute, and Mustapha Yatabare in stoppage time and grab a 4-4 draw.
2021 – Ghana 2-3 Comoros
Ghana had a powerful squad that would be headed to the World Cup in Qatar later the same year (2022) and were among the tournament favourites but got bundled out in a shock defeat at the hands of the tiny Comoros. Their campaign came to a humiliating end with a 3-2 defeat against the debutants in Garoua to finish bottom of Group C with just a single point. El Fardou Ben Mohamed scored Comoros’ first ever goal at the continental finals before Ahmed Mogni added a second just past the hour-mark. Goals from Richmond Boakye and Alexander Djiku levelled the game up for Ghana, but Mogni grabbed a winner for the tiny island nation with five minutes remaining.
2023 – Ivory Coast 0-4 Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea produced the biggest upset in Cup of Nations history with a 4-0 thumping of hosts Ivory Coast that put the small country into the last 16 as Group A winners and left the hosts facing potential elimination for several days before they squeezed through as one of the best third-placed teams. Emilio Nsue scored two goals to take his tournament tally to five and Pablo Gannet and Yannick Buyla added two more as the country of 1.6 million swept aside the home team with a sensational result.