Ethiopia won their first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1962, defeating UAR 4–2 in the final of the third edition of the tournament.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 3rd Africa Cup of Nations
- Host nation
- Ethiopia
- Final score
- Ethiopia 4–2 UAR (after extra time)
- Teams in finals
- 4
- Total entrants
- 9
- Goals-per-game record
- Highest in Africa Cup of Nations history
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Nine nations entered the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations, necessitating a qualification stage for the first time in the tournament's history. Ethiopia qualified automatically as hosts and UAR as reigning champions, each requiring only one additional match to reach the final.
The third Africa Cup of Nations was held in Ethiopia. The four-team finals saw Ethiopia face UAR in the final, where Ethiopia triumphed 4–2 after extra time to claim their first continental title. The tournament recorded the highest goals-per-game average in the competition's history.
Ethiopia became champions of Africa for the first time, and the tournament established the precedent of qualification rounds for the Africa Cup of Nations as continental participation grew. The high-scoring nature of the competition set a goals-per-game benchmark that has not been surpassed in the tournament.