AFCON 2023: 5 Biggest Upsets in the Last Five Editions As Cape Verde Beats Ghana

• Cape Verde have pulled off the first upset of the 2023 AFCON
• They stunned Ghana in their opening match with a last-gasp winner
• The AFCON has produced a few incredible upsets in the last few years

The 2023 Africa Cup has started with a bang. The first two days have encapsulated what AFCON is really about.

In the first few games, teams, especially the smaller, less fancied teams, have applied themselves and given the favourites a tough time.

African football giants Ghana and Nigeria were stunned by two West African sides, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea.

Both sides defended resolutely and gave the West Africans a run for their money. In the last five AFCON editions, we have witnessed some of the tournament's greatest upsets. Here are some of them from the previous five AFCON tournaments.

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Top 5 AFCON upsets

Cape Verde beats Ghana 2-1 - AFCON 2023

The Black Stars went into this tournament with a lot to prove, and they couldn't get over the first hurdle. Cape Verde outplayed Ghana, and they deserved their win. Mohammed Kudus wasn't on the matchday squad, but creating chances wasn't a big issue for Chris Hughton's men. The four-time champions weren't clinical enough.

Some Black Stars fans complained about the officiating, but overall, Cape Verde were the best team. The result could be catastrophic for Ghana for one major reason. Mozambique almost beat Egypt, so Ghana can't afford to lose the two remaining Group B matches. They could be staring at another group stage exit.

Comoros beat Ghana 3-2 - AFCON 2021

The reason Ghana are under so much pressure in Ivory Coast is because of their group stage exit in the 2021 edition in Cameroon. Comoros, who were making their first AFCON appearance, stunned the Black Stars 3-2, a result that saw Ghana finish bottom of their group, per BBC.

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It was Ghana's first group-stage exit since 2006. It is arguably the biggest AFCON upset of all time.

Equatorial Guinea beat Algeria 1-0 - AFCON 2021

Algeria went into the tournament as defending champions, but it turned out to be their worst nightmare. Equatorial Guinea gave them a run for the money and scored the only goal in the 70th minute. The goal won them the game and ended Algeria's 35-game unbeaten run.

The 2019 champions ended the tournament with just one point. It was one of the weakest title defences in AFCON history. This time around, they'll look to right the wrong we saw in Cameroon.

Madagascar beat Nigeria 2-0 - AFCON 2019

Madagascar made their AFCON debut in 2019, and they got the result of their dreams. They beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in the group stage, a result that helped them reach the quarter-final. They were ranked 108th before the tournament, and beating Nigeria was no easy feat.

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However, their historic run was ended by Tunisia in the quarter-final. The 2019 tournament remains their only tournament, but it was worth it.

Gambia beat Guinea 1-0 - AFCON 2021

Gambia made their AFCON debut in the 2021 edition, and it was glorious. They finished second in a group with Mali and Tunisia and then met West African side Guinea in the Round of 16. They beat them 1-0 to progress to the quarter-final, per Opta Analyst.

That result is still their biggest-ever result. They met eventual champions Senegal who knocked them out of the tournament. They will be looking to make their mark in this year's tournament. Interestingly, their group is tough; The Scorpions are in Group C alongside Senegal, Cameroon, and Guinea. Can they produce another incredible performance?

AFCON 2023 underdogs

Sports Brief earlier listed the top 5 underdog sides at the 2023 AFCON tournament.

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Burkina Faso is one of the teams that fans will keep an eye on. They have produced incredible performances in the last few AFCON tournaments.

Other dark horses in Ivory Coast are South Africa, Mali and Guinea.