1972 African Cup of Nations

1972 African Cup of NationsCoupe d'Afrique des Nations 1972

Tournament details
Host country| Cameroon
Dates| 23 February – 5 March
Teams| 8
Venue(s)| 2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions|  Congo (1st title)
Runners-up|  Mali
Third place|  Cameroon
Fourth place|  Zaire
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 16
Goals scored| 53 (3.31 per match)
Attendance| 425,000 (26,563 per match)
Top scorer(s)|  Fantamady Keita
(5 goals)
Best player(s)|  François M'Pelé

<- 1970

1974 ->

International football competition

The 1972 African Cup of Nations was the eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Cameroon, in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala. Just like in 1970, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. The People's Republic of the Congo won its first championship, beating Mali in the final 3−2.

## Qualified teams

[edit]

Main article: 1972 African Cup of Nations qualification

For the first time, Ethiopia did not compete. The 8 qualified teams are:

Team  | Qualified as  | Qualified on  | Previous appearances in tournament[a]

|
|
|

Cameroon | Hosts |  | 1 (1970)
Sudan | Holders | 16 February 1970 | 4 (1957, 1959, 1963, 1970)
Morocco | 2nd round winners | 16 April 1971 | 0 (debut)
Togo | 2nd round winners | 20 June 1971 | 0 (debut)
Mali | 2nd round winners | 27 June 1971 | 0 (debut)
Congo | 2nd round winners | 18 July 1971 | 1 (1968)
Kenya | 2nd round winners | 18 July 1971 | 0 (debut)
Zaire | 2nd round winners | 27 October 1971 | 3 (1965, 1968, 1970)

Notes

1. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year, Italic indicates host.

## Squads

[edit]

Main article: 1972 African Cup of Nations squads

## Venues

[edit]

The competition was played in two venues in Yaoundé and Douala.

Yaoundé |

Yaoundé

Douala

|

Stade Omnisports
Capacity: 38,720
Douala
Stade de la Réunification
Capacity: 30,000

## Group stage

[edit]

### Tiebreakers

[edit]

If two or more teams finished level on points after completion of the group matches, the following tie-breakers were used to determine the final ranking:

1. Goal difference in all group matches
2. Greater number of goals scored in all group matches
3. Drawing of lots

### Group A

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Cameroon (H) | 3  | 2  | 1  | 0  | 5  | 2  | +3  | 5  | Advance to knockout stage
2  |  Mali | 3  | 0  | 3  | 0  | 5  | 5  | 0  | 3
3  |  Kenya | 3  | 0  | 2  | 1  | 3  | 4  | −1  | 2  |
4  |  Togo | 3  | 0  | 2  | 1  | 4  | 6  | −2  | 2

Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts

23 February 1972

Cameroon | 2–1|  Kenya

|
|

N'Doga 7'
N'Dongo 20' |  | Niva 44'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Abdelkader Ben Jelloun (Morocco)

24 February 1972

Mali | 3–3|  Togo

|
|

B Traoré 10'
F. Keita 46'
B. Touré 49' |  | Kaolo 45' (pen.), 60'
Adé 81'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Andre Bernard Ickias (Congo)

* * *

26 February 1972

Mali | 1–1|  Kenya

|
|

F. Keita 45' |  | Nicodémus 60'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Pierre Mutombo (Zaire)

26 February 1972

Cameroon | 2–0|  Togo

|
|

Maya 64'
Mvé 79' |  |

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Babikr Eissa (Sudan)

* * *

28 February 1972

Togo | 1–1|  Kenya

|
|

Kaolo 60' |  | Pelé Ouma 30'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Abdelkader Aouissi (Algeria)

28 February 1972

Cameroon | 1–1|  Mali

|
|

N'Doumbé 67' |  | F. Keita 43'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Mostafa Kamel (Egypt)

### Group B

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Zaire | 3  | 1  | 2  | 0  | 4  | 2  | +2  | 4  | Advance to knockout stage
2  |  Congo | 3  | 1  | 1  | 1  | 5  | 5  | 0  | 3
3  |  Morocco | 3  | 0  | 3  | 0  | 3  | 3  | 0  | 3  |
4  |  Sudan | 3  | 0  | 2  | 1  | 4  | 6  | −2  | 2

Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

25 February 1972

Congo | 1–1|  Morocco

|
|

Moukila 45' |  | Faras 34'

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 15,000

Referee: Alfred Olimba (Kenya)

25 February 1972

Zaire | 1–1|  Sudan

|
|

Mayanga 53' |  | Hasabu El-Sagheer 55'

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Sané Mady Diallo (Mali)

* * *

27 February 1972

Morocco | 1–1|  Sudan

|
|

Faras 32' |  | Abdel-Nadief 49'

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 7,000

Referee: Michael Wacka (Cameroon)

27 February 1972

Zaire | 2–0|  Congo

|
|

N'Tumba 16', 59' |  |

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 7,000

Referee: Théodore Laclé (Togo)

* * *

29 February 1972

Morocco | 1–1|  Zaire

|
|

Faras 36' |  | Mayanga 3'

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 20,000

Referee: Robert Foiret (Mauritius)

29 February 1972

Congo | 4–2|  Sudan

|
|

M'Bono 8', 55'
M'Pelé 32'
Bahamboula 46' |  | Abdel Wahab 37'
Wahba 44'

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 20,000

Referee: George Lamptey (Ghana)

## Knockout stage

[edit]

| Semi-finals| | Final

|
|
|

|  |  |  |  |  |

|  2 March – Yaoundé | |

|  Cameroon |  0

|  5 March – Yaoundé

|  Congo |  1 |

|  Congo |  3

|  2 March – Douala

| |  Mali |  2

|  Zaire |  3

|  Mali (a.e.t.) |  4 |

| Third place

|  4 March – Yaoundé

|  Cameroon |  5

|  Zaire |  2

### Semifinals

[edit]

2 March 1972

Cameroon | 0–1|  Congo

|
|

|  | Minga 31'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Mostafa Kamel (Egypt)

* * *

2 March 1972

Zaire | 3–4 (a.e.t.)|  Mali

|
|

N'Tumba 6'
Etepé 61'
Ngassebe 78' |  | A. Traoré 17'
F. Keita 48', 92'
B. Touré 68'

Stade de la Réunification, Douala

Attendance: 2,000

Referee: George Lamptey (Ghana)

### Third place match

[edit]

4 March 1972

Cameroon | 5–2|  Zaire

|
|

Akono 4' (pen.)
N'Dongo 31'
Owona 32'
Mouthé 34'
N'Doga 42' |  | Etepé 13'
Mayanga 17'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 4,000

Referee: George Lamptey (Ghana)

### Final

[edit]

Main article: 1972 African Cup of Nations Final

5 March 1972

Congo | 3–2|  Mali

|
|

M'Bono 57', 59'
M'Pelé 63' |  | Diakhité 42'
M. Traoré 75'

Stade Omnisports, Yaoundé

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Abdelkader Aouissi (Algeria)

## Goalscorers

[edit]

There were 53 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 3.31 goals per match.

5 goals

* Fantamady Keita

4 goals

* Jean-Michel M'Bono

3 goals

* Ahmed Faras
* Edmond Apéti Kaolo
* Mayanga Maku
* Jean Kalala N'Tumba

2 goals

* Jean-Baptiste N'Doga
* Paul-Gaston N'Dongo
* François M'Pelé
* Bako Touré
* Kakoko Etepé

1 goal

* Jean Paul Akono
* Simo Emmanuel Mvé
* François N'Doumbe
* Joseph Yegba Maya
* Philippe Michel Mouthé
* Norbert Owona
* Jonas Bahamboula
* Noël Birindi Minga
* Paul Moukila
* Daniel Arudhi Nicodémus
* Jonathan Niva
* Peter "Pelé" Ouma
* Adama Traoré
* Bakary Traoré
* Moussa Diakhité
* Moussa Traoré
* Bushara Abdel-Nadief
* Kamal Abdel Wahab
* Hasabu El-Sagheer
* Ahmed Bushara Wahba
* Covi Adé
* Gary Ngassebe

## Team of the tournament

[edit]

Source:[1]

Goalkeeper  | Defenders  | Midfielders  | Forwards

|
|
|

Allal Ben Kassou |  Mohamed El-Sir Abdalla

Bwanga Tshimen

Paul N'lend

Boujemaa Benkhrif

|  Mayanga Maku

Noël Minga-Tchibinda

Paul-Gaston N'Dongo

Jean-Pierre Tokoto

|  Kakoko Etepé

François M'Pelé

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "African Nations Cup 1972 - Final Tournament Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 10 October 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Details at RSSSF
* Details at www.angelfire.com
* footballmundial.tripod.com
* www.world-results.net

* v
* t
* e

Africa Cup of Nations

Editions|

* Sudan 1957
* United Arab Republic 1959
* Ethiopia 1962
* Ghana 1963
* Tunisia 1965
* Ethiopia 1968
* Sudan 1970
* Cameroon 1972
* Egypt 1974
* Ethiopia 1976
* Ghana 1978
* Nigeria 1980
* Libya 1982
* Ivory Coast 1984
* Egypt 1986
* Morocco 1988
* Algeria 1990
* Senegal 1992
* Tunisia 1994
* South Africa 1996
* Burkina Faso 1998
* Ghana/Nigeria 2000
* Mali 2002
* Tunisia 2004
* Egypt 2006
* Ghana 2008
* Angola 2010
* Gabon/Equatorial Guinea 2012
* South Africa 2013
* Equatorial Guinea 2015
* Gabon 2017
* Egypt 2019
* Cameroon 2021
* Ivory Coast 2023
* Morocco 2025
* Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda 2027
* TBD 2029

Qualification|

* 1957
* 1959
* 1962
* 1963
* 1965
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021
* 2023
* 2025

Finals|

* 1957
* 1959
* 1962
* 1963
* 1965
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021
* 2023
* 2025

Bids|

* 2027
* 2029

Squads|

* 1957
* 1959
* 1962
* 1963
* 1965
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021
* 2023

Statistics|

* Finals
* Appearances
* Awards
* Records and statistics
* Hat-tricks

Miscellaneous|

* Balls
* Mascots
* Music
* Trophy

Notes
The 2021 and 2023 tournaments were actually held in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
There were no 1957 and 1959 qualifications as places were given by invitation only.
The "finals" articles for 1959 and 1976 are about the decisive matches of final group stages.

Football in Africa portal
*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template