Africa Cup of Nations: Prize money, 5 shocks of previous tournaments
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As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco, Sunday, tomorrow, we bring you five shocking developments in previous tournaments.
But first, let’s know the prize money at stake.
Prize money
$500,000: 4th groups
$700,000: 3rd groups and do not qualify for knockout phase
$800,000: Round of 16 losers
$1.3 million: Quarter-finals losers
$2.5 million: Semi-finals losers
$4 million: Runners-up
$7 million: Champions
Shocks
Equatorial Guinea hammering Ivory Coast 4-0 in a 2024 first round match is widely regarded as the greatest Africa Cup of Nations shock.
AFP Sport picks out some of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition.
1. Ivory Coast 0 Equatorial Guinea 4
Equatorial Guinea scored three times in the closing stages for a stunning group victory over the hosts. However, the Ivorians squeezed into the knockout stage as the fourth best third-placed team and went on to beat Nigeria in the final. Equatorial Guinea made a last-16 exit.
2. Comoros 3 Ghana 2
Four-time champions Ghana suffered the humiliation of a first round exit in 2022 after Ahmed Mogni notched an 85th-minute winner in a seesaw struggle in Cameroon.
The Ghanaian cause was not helped by veteran captain and midfielder Andre Ayew being sent off.
3. Benin 1 Morocco 1
Morocco were considered one of the 2019 title favourites in Egypt, especially after first round victories over Ivory Coast and South Africa.
However, a team coached by two-time AFCON-winning coach Herve Renard from France had to come from behind to draw, then lost 4-1 on penalties in the last 16.
4. Zambia 0 Ivory Coast 0
Zambia were outsiders in the 2012 final in Gabon against rivals fielding stars like Didier Drogba and the Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo.
Drogba missed a penalty and the match went to a shootout with defender Stophira Sunzu converting the decisive spot kick.
5. Tunisia 0 Mali 2
Then President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was so angry with the first half performance of highly rated 1994 hosts Tunisia in the opening match that he stormed out of the stadium at half-time.
He had watched Mali snatch a two-goal lead, which they retained.
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