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The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations
The 28th Africa Cup of Nations was the first co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and the last played in an even year: from 2013 CAF moved the tournament to odd years to avoid clashing with the World Cup. Sixteen teams played 32 matches between 21 January and 12 February 2012, and the title went to Zambia for the first time.
Venues
| Stadium | City | Country | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estadio de Bata | Bata | Equatorial Guinea | 41,000 |
| Estadio de Malabo | Malabo | Equatorial Guinea | 20,000 |
| Stade de Franceville | Franceville | Gabon | 22,000 |
| Stade d’Angondjé | Libreville | Gabon | 40,000 |
Total attendance was 456,332, an average of 14,260 per match. The final was played at the Stade d’Angondjé in Libreville, which had been built for the tournament.
Group stage
| Group | Winner | Runner-up | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Zambia (7 pts) | Equatorial Guinea (6) | Libya, Senegal |
| B | Ivory Coast (9) | Sudan (4) | Angola, Burkina Faso |
| C | Gabon (9) | Tunisia (6) | Morocco, Niger |
| D | Ghana (7) | Mali (6) | Guinea, Botswana |
Both co-hosts reached the quarter-finals, Gabon with three wins out of three. Pre-tournament favourites Senegal went out with three defeats.
Knockout stage
| Round | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Zambia 3–0 Sudan | Bata |
| Quarter-final | Ivory Coast 3–0 Equatorial Guinea | Malabo |
| Quarter-final | Gabon 1–1 Mali (a.e.t.), Mali won 5–4 on penalties | Libreville |
| Quarter-final | Ghana 2–1 Tunisia (a.e.t.) | Franceville |
| Semi-final | Zambia 1–0 Ghana | Bata |
| Semi-final | Ivory Coast 1–0 Mali | Libreville |
| Third place | Mali 2–0 Ghana | Malabo |
| Final | Zambia 0–0 Ivory Coast (a.e.t.), Zambia won 8–7 on penalties | Libreville |
The final: 12 February 2012, Libreville
Ivory Coast, with Didier Drogba, Yaya Touré and Gervinho, had reached the final without conceding a goal. Zambia, coached by Hervé Renard, had beaten Ghana in the semi-final. The final was the tournament’s only goalless draw; Drogba missed a penalty in the second half. The shoot-out went to sixteen kicks: after seven successful penalties each, Rainford Kalaba and Kolo Touré both missed, Stophira Sunzu scored for Zambia and Gervais Kouassi missed for Ivory Coast, giving Zambia an 8–7 win in front of 40,000 spectators. The referee was Badara Diatta of Senegal.
The venue gave the result its weight. In April 1993 the plane carrying Zambia’s national team crashed off Libreville, killing 18 players. Renard and the squad visited the crash site before the final and dedicated the title to the 1993 team.
Top scorers
No player scored more than three goals. Eight shared the top spot with three each, among them Zambia’s Christopher Katongo and Emmanuel Mayuka, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mali’s Cheick Diabaté, Angola’s Manucho and Morocco’s Houssine Kharja. Katongo was named player of the tournament.
- 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Wikipedia
- 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Final, Wikipedia
- African Nations Cup 2012, final tournament details, RSSSF (results and shoot-out sequence)
- 1993 Zambia national football team plane crash, Wikipedia
- Confédération Africaine de Football
Last updated: September 2026