In 2016, Leicester City were Premier League champions and gracing Champions League competition. In 2021, they won the FA Cup and Community Shield - allowing another foray into European competition to be enjoyed. Fast forward five years and the Foxes have suffered back-to-back relegations and will be playing in League One next season. What has gone wrong? Paul Dickov has cast an eye over the “upsetting” situation during an exclusive interview with GOAL.
Frank Lampard has been named EFL Championship Manager of the Season following his role in guiding Coventry City to promotion. The award serves as validation for a campaign that saw Coventry consistently defy expectations and outpace traditional heavyweights in the division. By winning the title, the former Chelsea midfielder has brought to an end a painful 25-year exile from the top flight of English football.
Former Arsenal and Wales star Aaron Ramsey has officially retired from professional football with immediate effect. The 35-year-old playmaker, who remains one of the most decorated players in Welsh history, calls time on a glittering career that spanned nearly two decades and included three FA Cup triumphs with the Gunners.
Egypt are the team who have won the most AFCON titles in history, with seven to their name. It was in 1957, the inaugural edition of AFCON, where Egypt attained glory. They would go on to add three more trophies before the turn of the century (1957, 1986, 1998), before completing a threepeat in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
How many teams are in the AFCON?
The first-ever AFCON featured just three teams. Between 1968 and 1990, eight teams featured in the tournament. An expansion in 1992 saw 12 teams feature in AFCON, and 16 from 1998. The latest expansion in 2019, though, sees 24 teams fight for glory.
Who has made the most AFCON appearances ever?
Cameroon legend Rigobert Song set the record of most AFCON appearances in 2010, playing in his 36th game in the tournament. That record was equalled by Ghanaian icon Andre Ayew in 2024.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the AFCON?
Cameroon icon Samuel Eto'o leads the all-time goalscoring charts with an impressive 18 goals over the course of 29 matches during six different tournaments.
Who is the oldest player ever in the AFCON and how old was he?
Egypt's Essam El Hadary is the oldest player ever to play in AFCON at the age of 44 years and 21 days. He achieved this feat in 2017 during Egypt's 2-1 loss to Cameroon.
Who is the youngest player ever in the AFCON and how old was he?
Former Ghana defender Joseph Odoi made his AFCON debut in 1984 at the age of 15 years and 164 days, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the African Cup of Nations.
Which famous players have played in the AFCON?
Samuel Eto'o, Mohamed Salah, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Jay-Jay Okocha, Sadio Mane, Roger Milla, Ahmed Hassan, George Weah, etc, are some of the biggest names to have featured in the African Cup of Nations.
Which famous managers have managed in the AFCON?
Charles Gyamfi, Hassan Shehata, Herve Renard, and Avram Grant are some of the most famous coaches to have led their respective teams at AFCON.