1996 African Cup of Nations — 1996 edition of the African Cup of Nations association football competition
South Africa hosted and won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, its first continental title, in a tournament expanded to 16 teams for the first time.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 20th Africa Cup of Nations
- Host nation
- South Africa (replaced Kenya)
- Teams
- 15 (expanded field of 16, Nigeria withdrew)
- Final result
- South Africa 2–0 Tunisia
- Group stage format
- Four groups of four, top two advance
- Sponsor name
- Coca-Cola 1996 Africa Cup of Nations
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
South Africa stepped in as host after Kenya was replaced, and the tournament field was expanded to 16 teams for the first time. Nigeria, despite qualifying, withdrew at the last moment under pressure from military dictator Sani Abacha, reducing the participating nations to 15.
The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations was held in South Africa in January 1996. Sixteen teams were originally invited across four groups, with the top two from each advancing to the quarterfinals. South Africa progressed through the tournament and met Tunisia in the final, winning 2–0 to claim its first continental championship.
South Africa's victory marked its first Africa Cup of Nations title and raised the international profile of football in the post-apartheid nation. The tournament's expansion to 16 teams set a new standard for the competition's scale, and the event was later documented in the 2026 series 'Class of '96: Rise of a Nation'.