1996 African Cup of Nations

The 1996 African Cup of Nations, also known as the Coca-Cola 1996 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 20th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by South Africa, who replaced original hosts Kenya. The field expanded for the first time to 16 teams, split into four groups of four; the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals. However, Nigeria withdrew from the tournament at the final moment under pressure from then-dictator Sani Abacha, reducing the field to 15.[1] South Africa won its first championship, beating Tunisia in the final 2–0.[2]

1996 African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations 1996 official logo
Tournament details
Host countrySouth Africa
Dates13 January – 3 February
Teams15
Venue(s)4 (in 4 host cities)
Final positions
Champions South Africa (1st title)
Runners-up Tunisia
Third place Zambia
Fourth place Ghana
Tournament statistics
Matches played29
Goals scored78 (2.69 per match)
Attendance640,880 (22,099 per match)
Top scorer(s)Zambia Kalusha Bwalya
(5 goals)
Best player(s)Zambia Kalusha Bwalya
1994
1998

Qualified teams

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Participating nations

For full qualification see: 1996 African Cup of Nations qualification

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament[a]
  South Africa Hosts 0 (debut)
  Nigeria[b] Holders 10 April 1994 10 (1963, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994)
  Gabon Group 5 winners 4 June 1995 1 (1994)
  Zaire Group 1 winners 4 June 1995 9 (1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1992, 1994)
  Zambia Group 5 runners-up 15 July 1995 7 (1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994)
  Algeria Group 4 runners-up 30 July 1995 8 (1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992)
  Angola Group 6 winners 30 July 1995 0 (debut)
  Burkina Faso Group 7 winners 30 July 1995 1 (1978)
  Cameroon Group 1 runners-up 30 July 1995 8 (1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992)
  Egypt Group 4 winners 30 July 1995 14 (1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986,
1988, 1990, 1992, 1994)
  Ghana Group 3 winners 30 July 1995 10 (1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1994)
  Ivory Coast Group 7 runners-up 30 July 1995 11 (1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992,
1994)
  Liberia Group 2 runners-up 30 July 1995 0 (debut)
  Mozambique Group 6 runners-up 30 July 1995 1 (1986)
  Sierra Leone Group 3 runners-up 30 July 1995 1 (1994)
  Tunisia Group 2 winners 30 July 1995 6 (1962, 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982, 1994)
Notes
  1. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year, Italic indicates host.
  2. ^ Nigeria withdrew prior to the start of the finals. Guinea, as the best side to not qualify, was offered Nigeria's spot in the finals, but declined due to a lack of preparation time.

Squads

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Venues

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Johannesburg Durban
FNB Stadium Kings Park Stadium
   
Capacity: 80,000 Capacity: 52,000
Bloemfontein Port Elizabeth
Free State Stadium EPRU Stadium
   
Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 33,852

First round

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Teams highlighted in green progress to the Quarter Finals.

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   South Africa (H) 3 2 0 1 4 1 +3 6 Advance to knockout stage
2   Egypt 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 6
3   Cameroon 3 1 1 1 5 7 −2 4
4   Angola 3 0 1 2 4 6 −2 1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts
South Africa  3–0  Cameroon
Masinga   15'
Williams   37'
Moshoeu   55'
Attendance: 75,000

Egypt  2–1  Angola
El-Kass   30', 33' Quinzinho   77'
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Sidi Bekaye Magassa (Mali)

Cameroon  2–1  Egypt
Omam-Biyik   36' (pen.)
Tchami   59'
Maher   48'
Attendance: 4,000

South Africa  1–0  Angola
Williams   57'
Attendance: 28,000
Referee: Fethi Boucetta (Tunisia)

South Africa  0–1  Egypt
El-Kass   7'
Attendance: 20,000

Angola  3–3  Cameroon
Joni   38' (pen.)
Paulão   57'
Quinzinho   80'
Omam-Biyik   25'
Mouyeme   82'
Vicente   90' (o.g.)
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Mohamed Kouradji (Algeria)

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Zambia 3 2 1 0 9 1 +8 7 Advance to knockout stage
2   Algeria 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 7
3   Sierra Leone 3 1 0 2 2 7 −5 3
4   Burkina Faso 3 0 0 3 3 9 −6 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Zambia  0–0  Algeria

Sierra Leone  2–1  Burkina Faso
Sessay   11'
Kallon   89'
Ouédraogo   74'
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Okoampa (Ghana)

Algeria  2–0  Sierra Leone
Meçabih   41', 63'

Zambia  5–1  Burkina Faso
Malitoli   18'
K. Bwalya   24', 35'
Lota   44'
J. Bwalya   45'
Y. Traoré   53'

Algeria  2–1  Burkina Faso
Lounici   2'
Dziri   75'
Zongo   83'
Attendance: 180
Referee: Charles Masembe (Uganda)

Zambia  4–0  Sierra Leone
K. Bwalya   2', 9', 84'
Malitoli   87'

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Gabon 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3 Advance to knockout stage
2   Zaire 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
3   Liberia 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 3
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Gabon  1–2  Liberia
Nzeng   59' Sebwe   5' (pen.)
Sarr   54'
Attendance: 5,000

Gabon  2–0  Zaire
Mackaya   21' (pen.)
Bekogo   34'
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Omer Yengo (Congo)

Zaire  2–0  Liberia
Lukaku   5' (pen.)
Essende   72'
Attendance: 3,000

  Nigeria withdrew, so their three matches were canceled.

  • vs.   Zaire, 16 January 1996
  • vs.   Liberia, 19 January 1996
  • vs.   Gabon, 25 January 1996

Group D

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Ghana 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 9 Advance to knockout stage
2   Tunisia 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
3   Ivory Coast 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 3
4   Mozambique 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Ghana  2–0  Ivory Coast
Yeboah   20'
Pelé   70'
Attendance: 8,000

Tunisia  1–1  Mozambique
Berkhissa   24' Tico-Tico   4'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Charles Masembe (Uganda)

Ghana  2–1  Tunisia
Pelé   50'
Akonnor   77'
Ben Younes   72'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Petros Mathabela (South Africa)

Ivory Coast  1–0  Mozambique
Tiéhi   32'

Tunisia  3–1  Ivory Coast
Ben Younes   32', 38'
Ben Hassen   48'
M. Traoré   84'
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Sidi Bekaye Magassa (Mali)

Ghana  2–0  Mozambique
Pelé   42'
Aboagye   68'

Knockout stage

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Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
27 January – Johannesburg
 
 
  South Africa 2
 
31 January – Johannesburg
 
  Algeria 1
 
  South Africa 3
 
28 January – Port Elizabeth
 
  Ghana 0
 
  Ghana 1
 
3 February – Johannesburg
 
  Zaire 0
 
  South Africa 2
 
27 January – Bloemfontein
 
  Tunisia 0
 
  Zambia 3
 
31 January – Durban
 
  Egypt 1
 
  Zambia 2
 
28 January – Durban
 
  Tunisia 4 Third place
 
  Gabon 1 (1)
 
3 February – Johannesburg
 
  Tunisia (pen.) 1 (4)
 
  Ghana 0
 
 
  Zambia 1
 

Quarterfinals

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South Africa  2–1  Algeria
Fish   72'
Moshoeu   85'
Report Lazizi   84'

Zambia  3–1  Egypt
Litana   58'
Mutale   65'
Lota   76'
Report S. Kamouna   43'
Attendance: 8,500
Referee: Charles Masembe (Uganda)

Gabon  1–1 (a.e.t.)  Tunisia
Mackaya   16' Report Baya   10'
Penalties
Mackaya  
Ngoma  
Bekogo  
1–4   Sellimi
  Fekhi
  Ben Slimane
  El Ouaer
Attendance: 4,000

Ghana  1–0  Zaire
Yeboah   22' Report
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Sidi Bekaye Magassa (Mali)

Semifinals

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South Africa  3–0  Ghana
Moshoeu   22', 87'
Bartlett   46'
Attendance: 75,000

Zambia  2–4  Tunisia
Lota   68'
Makasa   90'
Sellimi   16', 85' (pen.)
Baya   20'
Ghodhbane   47'

Third place match

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Ghana  0–1  Zambia
J. Bwalya   51'
Attendance: 80,000
Referee: Omer Yengo (Congo)

Final

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South Africa  2–0  Tunisia
Williams   73', 75'
Attendance: 80,000
Referee: Charles Masembe (Uganda)

Goalscorers

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There were 78 goals scored in 29 matches, for an average of 2.69 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

CAF Team of the Tournament

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Goalkeeper

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

References

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  1. ^ "Nigerian players back boycott of finals". Independent.co.uk. 10 January 1996. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  2. ^ "'South Africa's Rugby World Cup win was big – but this was even bigger'". BBC Sport. 3 February 2022.
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