The Africa Cup of Nations has grown into one of world football’s most lucrative international tournaments, with AFCON 2025 in Morocco set to offer a record prize pool of 32 million dollars. According to CAF’s official breakdown, the champions will earn 7 million dollars, the runners up 4 million dollars and the two beaten semi finalists 2.5 million dollars each.
Quarter finalists will receive 1.3 million dollars per team, while all eight nations knocked out in the Round of 16 get 800,000 dollars each. The two best third placed teams who fail to advance from the group stage will take home 700,000 dollars each and the remaining six fourth placed sides receive 500,000 dollars apiece.
These figures highlight how far AFCON has come since earlier editions. In 2019 the winners, Algeria, received 4.5 million dollars and runners up Senegal earned 2.5 million dollars, with lower amounts for third and fourth place. The steady increases reflect CAF’s push to reward performance and raise the competition’s global profile.
Alongside prize money, AFCON is famous for its dramatic shocks. One of the most stunning came at AFCON 2023, when hosts Ivory Coast were thrashed 4 to 0 by Equatorial Guinea in a group game in Abidjan, plunging them to the brink of elimination before their later miracle run to the title.
Another unforgettable upset was Comoros’ 3 to 2 win over four time champions Ghana at AFCON 2021. The result knocked Ghana out at the group stage for the first time since 2006 and sparked celebrations across the tiny island nation, making it one of the biggest underdog stories in recent AFCON history.
Benin’s 1 to 0 victory over Morocco in the Round of 16 at AFCON 2019 also makes the list. Benin had never won a game at the finals before that tournament but went on to reach the quarter finals after eliminating one of the pre tournament favourites on penalties.
Madagascar’s 2 to 0 win over Nigeria in the group stage of AFCON 2019 was another major surprise. Playing in their debut AFCON, the Barea topped a group containing three time champions Nigeria, further proving that reputation counts for little once the tournament starts.
Zambia’s run to the title in 2012 rounds out the list of great AFCON shocks. The team, driven by the memory of the 1993 Gabon air disaster that claimed an earlier Zambian squad, defeated star studded Ivory Coast on penalties in the final, claiming their first continental crown against all odds.
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