Comparing Ivory Coast’s AFCON 2023 Win to Their 1992 and 2015 Title Runs: What the Numbers Show

• Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
• The Elephants have now won three AFCON titles in their history
• They previously won the continental competition in 1992 and 2015

Ivory Coast are champions of Africa once again.

The Elephants defeated Nigeria on Sunday night to claim their third Africa Cup of Nations title.

Sports Brief compares Ivory Coast's AFCON 2023 win to their previous title triumphs in 1992 and 2015.

Ivory Coast's AFCON titles: by the numbers

Games Played

Ivory Coast played just five matches in their 1992 title run. Only 12 teams competed in that event, with each country playing two group matches.

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The Elephants then played three matches in the knockout round, beating Zambia in the quarters, defeating Cameroon in the semis, and ousting Ghana in the final.

Ivory Coast played six matches in their 2015 championship run, with the tournament expanding to 16 teams.

They played three matches in the group stage and three more in the knockout round, where they beat Ghana again in the final, per Eurosport.

The Elephants played seven games in front of their home fans during their 2023 title run. Ivory Coast played three matches in Group A before beating Senegal, Mali, DR Congo, and Nigeria in the knockout rounds.

Goals Scored

Ivory Coast scored four goals in their 1992 title run, three of which came in their opening group match against Algeria.

The Elephants more than doubled that goal tally in their championship run in 2015, scoring nine goals in six matches.

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They scored three goals in the group stage before finding their mark in the knockout round. Ivory Coast scored three goals apiece in their wins over Algeria and DR Congo.

The Elephants struggled with their attack to start their 2023 campaign. They found the back of the net just twice in their opening three games, leaving them in danger of an early exit.

They found their groove in the knockout round, scoring a total of six goals en route to the title.

Goals Allowed

Ivory Coast winning the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations wouldn't be possible without their incredible defence.

They didn't concede a single goal in the tournament, recording five clean sheets. That helped them win the championship despite scoring just one goal in the knockout rounds.

The Elephants' defence in 2015 was solid as well, allowing four goals in six matches.

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They only recorded one clean sheet in that tournament, and that came in the final against Ghana. That match went into a penalty shootout, with Ivory Coast prevailing 9-8.

The Elephants' 2023 campaign got off to a horrible start, allowing five goals in their losses to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in the group stage.

They tightened up their defence in the knockout rounds, conceding three goals in total. They didn't allow more than one goal in their games against Senegal, Mali, DR Congo, and Nigeria.

Leading Scorers

Four players each scored a goal for Ivory Coast in their 1992 title run to lead the team in scoring. They are Abdoulaye Traore, Youssouf Fofana, Joel Tiehl, and Donald-Olivier Sie.

Three players led Ivory Coast in scoring in 2015, with Max-Alain Gradel, Wilfried Bony, and Gervinho each scoring two goals in that title run.

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Sebastian Haller saved the best for last in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, netting two goals against DR Congo and Nigeria in the semis and final.

He led the team in scoring alongside Franck Kessie, who also had two goals, per Sky Sports.

Host nations that captured the AFCON title

Sports Brief has also previously reported on the host nations that won an AFCON tournament.

Ivory Coast joined the exclusive list after lifting the 2023 trophy in front of their home fans.

Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Algeria, and South Africa are others on this elite AFCON ranking.