How many AFCON has Nigeria won? Titles, finals and bronzes
Nigeria have won the Africa Cup of Nations three times, in 1980, 1994 and 2013. Here is the Super Eagles' full record of finals, bronzes and near-misses.
Last updated: 6 October 2026.
How many AFCON has Nigeria won? The answer is three. The Super Eagles won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980, 1994 and 2013. They have also lost five finals and won bronze nine times. This guide covers each title-winning team, the finals that got away and the third-place record that makes Nigeria one of the most consistent sides in the tournament’s history. Results come from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), BBC Sport and Olympics.com, and the totals are correct as of October 2026.
The short answer
- Titles: three, in 1980 (as hosts), 1994 (in Tunisia) and 2013 (in South Africa).
- Finals lost: five, in 1984, 1988, 1990, 2000 and 2023.
- Third place: nine times, most recently at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
- Most successful nation: Egypt, with seven titles. Nigeria share fourth place on the all-time list with Ivory Coast.
- Women’s team: the Super Falcons are counted separately. CAF credits them with ten Women’s AFCON titles.
1980: the first title, won at home
Nigeria hosted the 1980 tournament, and the final was played at the National Stadium in Lagos on 22 March 1980. The Green Eagles, as the team was then called, beat Algeria 3–0. Segun Odegbami scored twice and Muda Lawal got the other goal. The Brazilian coach Otto Glória was in charge. The win came after two straight third-place finishes, in 1976 and 1978, and it gave the country its first major senior trophy.
1994: Westerhof’s golden generation
Fourteen years later, Clemens Westerhof’s side won the trophy in Tunis. On 10 April 1994 they beat Zambia 2–1 in the final at the Stade El Menzah, with Emmanuel Amunike scoring both goals. The final carried extra emotion because Zambia had rebuilt their team after the 1993 air disaster that killed most of their national squad.
This was the team of Rashidi Yekini, Stephen Keshi, Jay-Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh. Weeks later they made Nigeria’s World Cup debut in the United States. It is still widely seen as the strongest Super Eagles squad.
2013: Keshi completes a rare double
The third title came in Johannesburg on 10 February 2013. Sunday Mba scored the only goal of the final against Burkina Faso at FNB Stadium. The coach was Stephen Keshi, who had captained the 1994 winners. That made him only the second man to win the Nations Cup as both a player and a coach. CAF records Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary as the first.
Winning in 2013 also sent Nigeria to that year’s FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil as African champions.
The five finals Nigeria lost
Nigeria have reached eight AFCON finals but lost more of them than they have won. Three of those defeats came against Cameroon.
- 1984 (Ivory Coast): lost 3–1 to Cameroon.
- 1988 (Morocco): lost 1–0 to Cameroon.
- 1990 (Algeria): lost 1–0 to the hosts.
- 2000 (Ghana and Nigeria): drew 2–2 with Cameroon in Lagos and lost 4–3 on penalties. It was the closest Nigeria have come to a second home title.
- 2023 (Ivory Coast): lost 2–1 to the hosts in Abidjan on 11 February 2024. William Troost-Ekong put Nigeria ahead before Franck Kessié and Sébastien Haller turned the game around.
Nine bronze medals and a perfect play-off record
Nigeria’s most unusual AFCON record is in the third-place match. They finished third in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2019 and 2025.
The ninth bronze came in Casablanca on 17 January 2026. Nigeria had lost their AFCON 2025 semi-final to Morocco on penalties. In the play-off they drew 0–0 with Egypt and then won the shootout 4–2. CAF reported that goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, and that Ademola Lookman scored the winning kick. CAF also noted that Nigeria have now won every third-place match they have played at the tournament. Olympics.com described the result as a record ninth bronze.
How Nigeria compare with Africa’s other giants
Here is the men’s title count as of October 2026, with Morocco’s disputed 2025 title included (explained below):
- Egypt: 7
- Cameroon: 5
- Ghana: 4
- Nigeria and Ivory Coast: 3 each
- Algeria, DR Congo and Morocco: 2 each
Nigeria’s eight finals and nine bronzes give them more top-three finishes than almost any other country, even though they have fewer titles than Egypt, Cameroon or Ghana.
A note on the 2025 final
The 2025 final in Rabat is still being contested in court. Senegal beat Morocco 1–0 after extra time on 18 January 2026. In March 2026, CAF’s Appeal Board decided that Senegal’s walk-off protest meant they had lost the match by forfeit, and it recorded the result as 3–0 to Morocco. Senegal appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which has set a hearing for 8 October 2026. CAS has said no decision will be announced on the day of the hearing, and it has not set a date for its ruling. This does not change Nigeria’s total, but it does affect the all-time table above.
FAQ
How many times has Nigeria won AFCON?
Three times: 1980, 1994 and 2013.
When did Nigeria last win AFCON?
In 2013 in South Africa. Stephen Keshi’s side edged Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final.
How many AFCON finals has Nigeria played?
Eight. They won three and lost five.
Has Nigeria won AFCON at home?
Yes, once, in 1980. They also reached the final as co-hosts in 2000 but lost to Cameroon on penalties.
What to watch
The next men’s tournament, AFCON 2027, will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Nigeria will be trying to end a wait for a fourth title that will be 14 years long by then. Head coach Eric Chelle, appointed in January 2025, led the team to bronze in Morocco.
Related: AFCON winners list: every Africa Cup of Nations champion; Super Falcons WAFCON titles: Nigeria’s 10 African crowns; African winners at the Grammys, Oscars, Cannes and Emmys: a timeline. More in our Nigerian Entertainment section.
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