The African Cup of Nations (ACON) is a beautiful game tournament that frequently celebrates cooperation and unity. The main motive behind the Africa Cup on Nation is to stand against the nation’s division. Football is one of the passions of Africa that reflects in their culture. The tournament was organized to support youngsters’ passion in the region and promote equality. One of the historians said that the AFCON tournament was a means to promote political idealism and eliminate divisions which was an issue faced by most nations.
A brief history behind African Cup of Nations
The first-ever ACON tournament was held in 1957 to regulate political conditions in the region. The division of passions in the area was united through the love of football. At the time, only three countries were participating: Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. Each tournament was held after two years. Initially, South Africa was also set to join the ACON, but it was disqualified due to the government’s apartheid policies. The tournament started with three countries; however, the number gradually increased. In 1996, 16 countries participated in ACON, but Nigeria withdrew at the last minute, leaving 15 regions to compete.
The 16 countries combined to form four teams, and in the final stage, two teams compete for a knock-off round. Egypt has an incredible winning record as they have won seven games and three games back-to-back. Ghana won three trophies due to their impeccable performance in the tournament. Cameroon is also one of the best-performing teams as they have won two awards. ACON successfully achieved its primary objective of bringing political peace and promoting football with each tournament.
Medals and trophies
The first tournament trophy was named after the first president of CAF, made out of silver. Ghana won the first trophy in 1978, and they had full rights to hold it permanently. The “African Unity Cup” was the second trophy taken home by Cameroon after winning the tournament three times. It was one of the most significant achievements and shed light on Cameroon as a region and its sports talent. The third trophy was a gold-plated one, and it has a genuinely majestic appearance. Egypt won the award after winning three consecutive tournaments.
Due to the pandemic, the African cup did not happen in 2021; it is now happening in 2022. The competition will take place in Cameroon sometime in February. People were looking forward to the intense game and excited about betting. Betting companies in Africa are blooming with the business once again and all decked up for the gaming season.
