Introduction

This was the first African Cup to be contested and it was played shortly after World Cup VIII. There were a total of 20 teams who took part in the competition, as all sixteen teams that had participated in World Cup VIII qualifying entered and the tournament also saw the re-emergence of Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, and Mozambique who had not fielded teams since World Cup VI. Gabon made their WEFA debut in this tournament as well.

Rather than a traditional sixteen team tournament, CAF decided to use a unique ten team format for the "finals" like several other continents used for their inaugural competitions.

Burkina Faso broke several records during their home match against Tunisia in qualifying. Their 8-0 victory currently stands as the largest margin of victory and eight goals is the most any team has ever scored in a WEFA competitive match.

Teams Entered: 20
Champion: Morocco (1st)
Top Scorer: Manucho (5)

Qualification

The twenty teams were broken up into five groups of four, to be played in a double round robin (home and away) format. The top 2 teams in each group would qualify to the finals.

Seeding

The draw for the groups was seeded.

Seeding was based on each nation's performance in the previous eight World Cups. Pot E contained all of the teams who had never qualified to a World Cup. Pot D contained all teams who had qualified only once or twice. Pot C contained all teams who had qualified 3 times. Pot A contained most teams who had qualified 4 or more times. Pot B was a special pot containing Tunisia and Cameroon who were tied in appearances (4) and "best finish" (round of sixteen) - one was to be drawn into a group with Pot A teams, the other with Pot C teams. (Cameroon were drawn into Pot A)

Pot A: Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa
Pot B: Tunisia, Cameroon,
Pot C: Mali, Senegal, Togo, Egypt
Pot D: Mozambique, Angola, Ghana, Congo DR, Burkina Faso
Pot E: Algeria, Cape Verde Islands, Congo, Gabon, Guinea

Results

Group A

Cote d'Ivoire - 14 pts +8 GD 13 GF 5 GA
Congo - 8 pts -1 GD 5 GF 6 GA
Senegal - 7 pts -1 GD 7 GF 8 GA
Congo DR - 4 pts -6 GD 5 GF 11 GA

Congo DR 0 – 2 Senegal [Niang, B. Gueye]
Cote d'Ivoire 1 – 0 Congo [A. Kone]

Cote d'Ivoire 3 – 0 Senegal [Drogba x3]
Congo 1 – 0 Congo DR [Kitambala]

Congo DR 3 – 3 Cote d'Ivoire [Lualua, Mbokani x2; Drogba x2, Yaya Toure]
Senegal 0 – 1 Congo [Kitambala]

Senegal 2 – 0 Congo DR [Henri Camara, Niang]
Congo 1 – 1 Cote d'Ivoire [Ndinga; Romaric]

Congo 2 – 2 Senegal [Malonga, Moussilou; Diouf, Henri Camara]
Cote d'Ivoire 3 – 0 Congo DR [Akale, Drogba, Romaric]

Senegal 1 – 2 Cote d'Ivoire [Niang; Drogba, Yaya Toure]
Congo DR 2 – 0 Congo [S. Nonda, Lualua]

Group B

Cape Verde Islands - 13 pts +8 GD 17 GF 9 GA
Ghana - 8 pts -1 GD 11 GF 12 GA
Cameroon - 7 pts +0 GD 12 GF 12 GA
Egypt - 6 pts -7 GD 8 GF 15 GA

Egypt 1 – 2 Cape Verde Islands [Zidan; Semedo Cafu, Dady]
Cameroon 1 – 1 Ghana [Eto'o; Muntari]

Cameroon 2 – 1 Cape Verde Islands [Eto'o, M'bami; Dady]
Ghana 3 – 0 Egypt [K. Asamoah, Essien, Gyan Asamoah]

Egypt 3 – 1 Cameroon [Bikey OG, Hosni, Zaki; Mbami]
Cape Verde Islands 6 – 1 Ghana [Semedo Cafu x2, Bebe, M. Fernandes, Furtado x2; Essien]

Cape Verde Islands 4 – 2 Egypt [Lito x2, Bebe x2; Zaki x2]
Ghana 4 – 2 Cameroon [Gyan Asamoah x2, Laryea Kingston, Muntari; Eto'o, Webo]

Ghana 2 – 2 Cape Verde Islands [Muntari, Essien; J. Semedo, Semedo Cafu]
Cameroon 5 – 1 Egypt [Webo x2, Eto'o, Kome, Emana; Zaki]

Cape Verde Islands 2 – 1 Cameroon [Bikey OG, Dady; Eto'o]
Egypt 1 – 0 Ghana [Aboutraika]

Group C

Mozambique - 11 pts +9 GD 15 GF 6 GA
Mali - 9 pts +0 GD 11 GF 11 GA
Gabon - 8 pts -2 GD 11 GF 13 GA
South Africa - 5 pts -7 GD 8 GF 15 GA

Mali 3 – 2 Gabon [S. Coulibaly x2, Keita; P-E. Aubameyang, N'Zigou]
Mozambique 3 – 0 South Africa [Matateu Lucas x2, Eusebio]

Mozambique 5 – 1 Gabon [Matateu Lucas x3, Eusebio, Paito; N'Zigou]
South Africa 2 – 0 Mali [Mphela, A. Mokoena]

Mali 2 – 1 Mozambique [Keita, Jumisse OG; Matateu Lucas]
Gabon 2 – 2 South Africa [P-E. Aubameyang, Mouloungui; Pienaar, Mashego]

Gabon 2 – 1 Mali [N'Zigou x2; Kanoute]
South Africa 2 – 2 Mozambique [Pienaar, Mashego; Eusebio, Mario Coluna]

South Africa 1 – 3 Gabon [Sibaya; N'Zigou, Cousin x2]
Mozambique 3 – 0 Mali [Eusebio x3]

Gabon 1 – 1 Mozambique [Cousin; Matateu Lucas]
Mali 5 – 1 South Africa [Kanoute x4, Keita; Mphela]

Group D

Burkina Faso - 11 pts +9 GD 16 GF 7 GA
Nigeria - 11 pts +4 GD 12 GF 8 GA
Algeria - 10 pts +3 GD 12 GF 9 GA
Tunisia - 1 pts -16 GD 6 GF 22 GA

Tunisia 0 – 2 Algeria [Djebbour x2]
Nigeria 2 – 0 Burkina Faso [Martins, I. Uche]

Nigeria 1 – 2 Algeria [Utaka; Djebbour, Akrour]
Burkina Faso 8 – 0 Tunisia [Kasraoui OG, Bance x2, Dagano x2, Pitroipa, Kabore, Bamogo]

Tunisia 2 – 2 Nigeria [Zitouni, Jemaa; I. Uche, Martins]
Algeria 1 – 3 Burkina Faso [Ghezzal; Dagano x2, Bance]

Algeria 4 – 1 Tunisia [Akrour x3, Ghezzal; Belaid]
Burkina Faso 1 – 1 Nigeria [Dagano; Mikel]

Burkina Faso 2 – 2 Algeria [Pitroipa, Kabore; Djebbour x2]
Nigeria 4 – 2 Tunisia [Yakubu Ayegbeni, Utaka, Martins, Mikel; Jemaa, Zitouni]

Algeria 1 – 2 Nigeria [Akrour; Utaka x2]
Tunisia 1 – 2 Burkina Faso [D. Diakite OG; Dagano, Bance]

Group E

Morocco - 13 pts +12 GD 16 GF 4 GA
Angola - 11 pts +2 GD 8 GF 6 GA
Togo - 5 pts -6 GD 5 GF 11 GA
Guinea - 3 pts -8 GD 7 GF 15 GA

Morocco 2 – 0 Angola [Hadji, Aboucherouane]
Guinea 1 – 1 Togo [K. Cisse; Adebayor]

Guinea 2 – 2 Angola [Feindouno, A. Bangoura; Manucho, A. Macanga]
Togo 1 – 0 Morocco [J. Senaya]

Morocco 6 – 0 Guinea [El Hamdaoui x3, Kharja x2, Chafni]
Angola 2 – 0 Togo [Flavio x2]

Angola 1 – 1 Morocco [Manucho; El Ahmadi]
Togo 2 – 2 Guinea [Adebayor, J. Ayite; A. Keita, K. Cisse]

Togo 1 – 2 Angola [M. Salifou; Maurito, Love]
Guinea 2 – 3 Morocco [K. Cisse, A. Keita; El Ahmadi, Chamakh, El Hamdaoui]

Angola 1 – 0 Guinea [Love]
Morocco 4 – 0 Togo [Hadji, Chamakh x3]

Qualified Teams

Cote d'Ivoire
Congo
Cape Verde Islands
Ghana
Mozambique
Mali
Burkina Faso
Nigeria
Morocco
Angola

African Cup

Despite being held at a neutral venue, the home/away designation still mattered, so the tournament used groups of 5 rather than groups of 4 to ensure fairness. Each team was designated as the "home team" for two games, and "away team" for two games. Group stage results reflected the designations in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

In the group stage, "home" teams won 11 games, drew 7, and only lost 2. All "home" teams advanced in both quarterfinal and semifinal rounds (3 wins, 1 draw with PKs).

Group Stage

Group A

Mozambique - 9 pts +6 GD 10 GF 4 GA
Cape Verde Islands - 7 pts +3 GD 6 GF 3 GA
Angola - 5 pts +0 GD 8 GF 8 GA
Congo - 3 pts -5 GD 2 GF 7 GA
Burkina Faso - 2 pts -4 GD 6 GF 10 GA

Angola 3 – 2 Mozambique [Manucho, Love, Gilberto; Rui Marques OG, Armando Sa]
Congo 1 – 1 Burkina Faso [Malonga; Dagano]
BYE: Cape Verde Islands

Mozambique 5 – 0 Congo [Matateu Lucas, Eusebio x2, Mario Coluna x2]
Cape Verde Islands 2 – 1 Angola [Lito, Ze Rui; Manucho]
BYE: Burkina Faso

Congo 0 – 0 Cape Verde Islands
Burkina Faso 1 – 2 Mozambique [Bamogo; Paito, Matateu Lucas]
BYE: Angola

Cape Verde Islands 4 – 1 Burkina Faso [Dady x2, J. Semado, M. Fernandes; Bance]
Angola 1 – 1 Congo [Mantorras; Moussilou]
BYE: Mozambique

Burkina Faso 3 – 3 Angola [Bamogo, Bance, Dagano; Ze Kalanga, Manucho x2]
Mozambique 1 – 0 Cape Verde Islands [Matateu Lucas]
BYE: Congo

Group B

Morocco - 7 pts +4 GD 9 GF 5 GA
Mali - 6 pts -1 GD 5 GF 6 GA
Cote d'Ivoire - 5 pts -1 GD 6 GF 7 GF
Nigeria - 5 pts -1 GD 5 GF 6 GA
Ghana - 4 pts -1 GD 4 GF 5 GA

Nigeria 2 – 4 Morocco [K. Uche, Yakubu Ayegbeni; Dirar x2, El Hamdaoui x2]
Mali 2 – 1 Ghana [Kanoute, M. Diallo; Amoah]
BYE: Cote d'Ivoire

Morocco 3 – 0 Mali [Hadji x2, Kharja]
Cote d'Ivoire 1 – 1 Nigeria [Sanogo; I. Uche]
BYE: Ghana

Mali 2 – 0 Cote d'Ivoire [M. Diallo, Kanoute]
Ghana 1 – 0 Morocco [Gyan Asamoah]
BYE: Nigeria

Cote d'Ivoire 3 – 2 Ghana [Drogba x2, Yaya Toure; Muntari, Gyan Asamoah]
Nigeria 2 – 1 Mali [I. Uche, Odemwingie; Keita]
BYE: Morocco

Ghana 0 – 0 Nigeria
Morocco 2 – 2 Cote d'Ivoire [El Hamdaoui, Kharja; Drogba x2]
BYE: Mali

Knockout Round

Quarterfinals

Mali 2 - 2 Angola [Sissoko, Maiga OT; Manucho, Mendonca OT] (4-3 PKs) [Yatabare O, Xara O, M. Diallo X, Love O, Maiga O, Maurito X, S. Dembele O, Mendonca O, Keita O, Dede X]
Cape Verde Islands 4 – 2 Cote d'Ivoire [Furtado x3, Bebe; Marco Soares OG, Yaya Toure]