6 Times AFCON Defending Champions Have Crashed Out in the Group Stage

• The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is set to kick off in Ivory Coast
• Senegal are the defending champions of the competition
• The Teranga Lions defeated Egypt in the 2021 final in Cameroon

Senegal will hope not to follow the paths of countries like Sudan, Nigeria and Egypt and get knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations early as defending champions.

The Teranga Lions, who clinched the tournament for the first time in 2021, will hope to defend the cup against 23 other top nations when the competition kicks off in Ivory Coast.

According to Complete Sports, Senegal has been tipped to retain the AFCON, with superstars like Al Nassr forward Sadio Mane leading the attack for Aliou Cisse’s team.

So far, history has recorded that six countries have fumbled the chance of defending the Africa Cup of Nations and have crashed out as early as the group stage.

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Here, Sports Brief takes a comprehensive look at the teams that have crashed out in the group stages of the AFCON as defending champions.

Six AFCON champions to crash early

1. Nigeria, 1982

Nigeria won the AFCON title for the first time as hosts, defeating Algeria in the final 3-0 as Segun Odegbami scored twice in the first half, and Muda Lawal scored late in the second half to seal the victory.

However, at the 1982 edition, the Green Eagles finished third in Group B with one victory and two losses and thus failed to advance as their sole win came against Ethiopia (3-0), while they lost to Algeria (2-1) and Zambia (3-0).

2. Morocco, 1978

Morocco's Atlas Lions became the second North African side, after Egypt, to be crowned AFCON champions in 1976, winning their first and only title.

However, at the 1978 tournament in Ghana, Morocco failed to advance beyond the group round as the North Africans finished third in Group B, which included Uganda, Tunisia, and Congo Brazzaville, with one win, one tie, and one defeat.

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3. Sudan, 1972

Sudan won their first and only Africa Cup of Nations title at home in 1970 as they defeated Ghana's Black Stars 1-0 thanks to a goal scored in the 12th minute by Hasabu El-Sagheer.

The Nile Crocodiles’ next tournament, held in Cameroon in 1972, was one to forget, as they finished last in a group that included DR Congo, Morocco, and Congo Brazzaville.

4. DR Congo, 1970

In 1968, the Democratic Republic of Congo won the African Cup of Nations for the first time, defeating Ghana's Black Stars 1-0 thanks to Pierre Kalala's goal in the 66th minute.

However, DR Congo had a forgettable tournament at the 1970 AFCON in Sudan, failing to advance from the group round as they finished last in their group, which included Egypt, Ghana, and Guinea, after losing two and drawing three games.

5. Algeria, 1992

Algeria hosted and won the AFCON in 1990, defeating Nigeria 1-0 in the final.

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However, the Algerians failed to advance beyond the group stage at the 1992 AFCON in Senegal.

After losing 3-0 to eventual winners, Ivory Coast, in their first game, Algeria could only manage a 1-1 draw against Congo Brazzaville in their second and later draw against Congo as they placed third in the three-team group.

6. Zambia, 2013

Zambia won the 2012 AFCON competition after defeating favourites Ivory Coast 8-7 in a penalty shootout in the final, avenging their previous two final appearances.

However, the Chipolopolo had a forgettable competition at the 2013 edition in South Africa, when they were eliminated in the group round.

Zambia finished third in their group, which included Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia, after drawing all three games.

Senegal backed to win AFCON

Earlier, Sports Brief also reported that according to Opta AI analytics, the Lions of Teranga have a good chance of winning their second AFCON title in a row.

Senegal triumphed in the third attempt in 2021, defeating record champion, Egypt, in a highly contested final after missing out on the title in 2002 and 2019.