Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations for the second time, defeating Zambia 2–1 in the final held in Tunisia.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 19th African Cup of Nations
- Tournament dates
- 26 March – 10 April 1994
- Total matches played
- 20
- Total goals scored
- 44 (avg 2.2 per match)
- Total attendance
- 267,400 (avg 13,370 per match)
- Top scorer & best player
- Rashidi Yekini (Nigeria), 5 goals
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Tunisia replaced original hosts Zaire after Zaire withdrew. Zambia entered as a newly rebuilt side following an air disaster that killed eighteen players and several staff of the previous squad. The defending champions were Ivory Coast, who had won the 1992 edition.
The 1994 African Cup of Nations was contested by twelve nations in Tunisia from 26 March to 10 April 1994. Nigeria defeated Zambia 2–1 in the final. Host Tunisia was eliminated in the group stage, while defending champions Ivory Coast fell to Nigeria in the semi-finals on penalties and finished third by beating Mali.
Nigeria claimed their second continental title and qualified for the 1995 King Fahd Cup in Saudi Arabia as Africa's representative. Rashidi Yekini earned both the top scorer and best player awards with five goals. Tunisia's group-stage exit was described as the greatest failure in the host nation's football history.