Africa’s top 5 most successful national football teams

By Peter Ochieng

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign ended in November, with 23 teams booking slots for the soccer bonanza set for early next year.

The teams joined hosts Morocco as football fans across the country wait for the draw that will give an indication of what to expect during the tournament.

The qualified teams are hosts Morocco, defending champions Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Senegal, Egypt, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Uganda.

Others are South Africa, Tunisia, Nigeria, Mali, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Sudan, Benin, Tanzania, Botswana and Mozambique.

Ahead of AFCON’s 35th edition, Nairobi Review compiles a list of the most successful African national football teams.

1. Egypt

With a record 7 AFCON titles, the Pharaohs are considered by far, the most successful African football team. They hold the record for most AFCON appearances, games, wins and goal scored.

Egypt remains the only team to win the AFCON tournament three times in a row, after successive triumphs in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

However, the Egyptians have generally struggled on the intercontinental stage only managing three World Cup appearances.

2. Cameroon

Talk to any Cameroonian and he or she will most likely insist that the Indomitable Lions are the most successful team in Africa, and there is a reason for this.

Cameroon has won the AFCON title five times, won an Olympic U23 gold medal and featured in 8 World Cup tournaments – the most for any African team.

The Indomitable Lions hold the record for most confederation cup appearances by an African team, and the only team from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) region to win a medal in the competition after finishing second in 2003.

In 1990, the Indomitable Lions became the first African national team to reach World Cup quarterfinals, long before Senegal and Ghana achieved the feat in 1998 and 2010 respectively.

Next year’s AFCON provides another opportunity for Cameroon to try and narrow the AFCON titles deficit between them and Egypt.

3. Nigeria

The Super Eagles have won 3 AFCON titles, finished runners 4 times and finished third for a record 8 times. The latest runners up finish was in 2023 against hosts and eventual champions Ivory Coast.

Besides Cameroon, Nigeria is the only other African team in Africa to win an Olympics soccer gold medal. In April 1994, the team was ranked 5th in the World, the best placing for an African team in history.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest footballing nation by fanbase, has participated at the World Cup on 6 occasions, reaching the round of 16 thrice.

4. Ghana

With the likes of Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan and Stephen Appiah among others, Ghana’s Black Stars failed an inch from becoming the first African team to book a World Cup semifinal slot in 2010, in South Africa.

The team lost to Uruguay after Gyan alias ‘Baby Jet’ failed to convert a decisive penalty, breaking the hearts of not only Ghanaians, but Africans at large. Morocco became the first African team to grace the World Cup semis in Qatar, in 2022.

On the continental front, Ghana has won 4 Africa Cup of Nations titles. Unfortunately, the Black Stars will not be in Morocco after failing spectacularly during the qualification stage.

Ghana finished 4th in group F’s qualification marathon with a paltry 3 points, after losing to Sudan and Niger, and managing draws against table toppers Angola, Sudan and Niger.

5. Ivory Coast

The Elephants have won the Africa Cup of Nations title three times, in 1992, 2015 and 2023. They hosted the 2023 edition and went all the way to lifting the title, despite failing to win any of the group matches.

The team, led by former Chelsea stalwart Didier Drogba made its world cup debut in 2006 in Germany, where they were drawn in the Group of Death, alongside Argentina, Holland and Serbia and Montenegro.

The Ivorians lost 2–1 to Argentina and 2–1 to the Netherlands, meaning they had already been eliminated by the time they played Serbia and Montenegro.

Despite going 2–0 down after just 20 minutes, Ivory Coast came back to win 3–2 to record their first-ever World Cup victory. Back to the fairytale story of the 2023 AFCON.

Following a 4–0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea and third-place finish in the group stage, coach Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed, and assistant coach Emerse Faé was hired as caretaker in the knockout stages.

Ivory Coast defeated defending champions Senegal in the penalty shoot-outs in the round of 16, Mali after extra-time in the quarters, and DR Congo in the semi-finals before beating Nigeria in the final.