It’s exactly 30 days to the start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. With the anticipation building up ahead of the coveted tournament here is the countdown to the championship that will be held in Egypt.
To fully understand the tournament, one ought to be informed about how it came into existence and today’s article looks at the formation of Africa Cup of Nations.
Scheduled to be the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men’s football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will be held from June 21 to July 19 2019, as per the decision of the CAF Executive Committee on July 20, 2017 to move the Africa Cup of Nations from January/February to June/July for the first time.
While AFCON might not be as popular as its European or South American equivalents, for football fans in the African continent, it is the second most prestigious trophy for countries from Africa. And as such, it is treated with much anticipation in Africa.
The Cup of Nations is the main international football competition in Africa. In the years since the competition was founded in 1957, Egypt have won three more titles than their closest challenger after a period of dominance between 2006 and 2010 saw them win it three times in a row. Mohamed Aboutrika was instrumental in the first two victories and is one of the tournament’s greatest ever players.
It was Egypt who won the first ever edition in 1957, although they have failed to add to their haul in the last few years.
Ghana and Nigeria have each won it four times apiece, with Nigeria’s most recent title coming in 2013, despite a typically fraught build-up.
Many neutral observers will have been delighted to see the Ivory Coast’s ‘Golden Generation’—or at least what remained of it—winning the tournament in 2015. It was too late for Didier Drogba who announced his retirement a few months earlier, but at least the Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, Gervinho and Salomon Kalou were able to celebrate a long-awaited title after many years of trying.
AFCON COUNTDOWN FACTS
Top Six Successful Countries In AFCON
1. Egypt – 7 titles
2. Cameroon – 5 titles
3. Ghana – 4 titles
4. Nigeria – 3 titles
5. Ivory Coast – 2 titles
6. DR Congo – 2 titles39 DAYS TO #AFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/MlTWEq309n
— OurAfricanFootball.com (@ourAfricanFooty) May 13, 2019